


You'll Be In My Heart

by Anorlost, GeneralSux4



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: 19th century ideas of gender, Hux is a filthy imperialist, M/M, Rating will probably go up, explorer Hux, feral Kylo, han and leia death mention, period accurate internalized homophobia, tarzan au, too British for his own good Hux
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2018-10-19 21:39:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10648581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anorlost/pseuds/Anorlost, https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeneralSux4/pseuds/GeneralSux4
Summary: In his frustration Hux repeated more irately, “Hux.”“Hux?” asked Kylo.Hux nodded and repeated, “Hux.”Kylo reached forward and tugged on Hux’s jacket, “My name.”  He then tapped Hux on the nose, “Hux.”The red haired explorer rolled his eyes, “Close enough.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The product of months of twitter conversation is finally here!!! Featuring art by fort-peen aka letmeputitinyourbutt on tumblr! (or at least it will once I figure out how to computer) Loads of credit must go to GeneralSux4 for the idea and plotting, so give her lots of love!

It was far too hot for any of this.  

Despite ascribing to the theory of Natural Selection, Hux couldn't help but feel baffled that anything could survive, let alone thrive, in the sweltering African heat.  He could feel sweat seeping through his undergarments and threatening to spread into the many layers he insisted on wearing.  It was foolish, the rest of the expedition party seemed to think, to stubbornly cling to propriety in a place where nobody could see him, but Hux preferred it this way.  In unfamiliar territory and a strange environment, he wanted something familiar, some semblance of order to cling to when exploration became overwhelming.  

Now, of course, it was very tempting to peel off a layer or two.  Perhaps just his jacket.  Immediately, with a sigh, he thought better of it.  He needed his pockets to carry his instruments and samples.  The whole point of the trip was to examine and hopefully make new discoveries about African wildlife, so it would be counterintuitive to risk losing anything like that by carelessly letting his jacket hang off his arm or over his shoulder.  He’d already managed to collect a horned beetle in a small jar to treat with formaldehyde and pin to a card later.

In spite of the heat, the jungle was a beautiful place, Hux had to admit that much.  The plants grew wild and free, in more varieties and sizes and colours than Hux had ever seen in one place before.  He had an interest in plants and insects, but his true passion was wildlife.  He’d fallen in love with African wildlife as a boy when he had picked up his first picture book full of lions and giraffes.  Of course, those lived in the savanna.  He was far more likely to see gorillas or a hippopotamus in this place than a lion, which he was far more content to see in a zoo, at a distance, far from any sharp teeth or claws.  

Thank goodness for Phasma,Though a woman, Gwendolyn Phasma was taller & broader than most of the men Hux knew; and she had been trained by her father, a retired Colonel and dear friend of the elder Hux, to know her way around a rifle. She was equipped to handle any of the more dangerous animals they might encounter.  Hux hated the thought of having to needlessly kill any of the creatures, but it was a necessary evil.  It would have been stupid to come to a jungle without adequate defenses, and given the choice between his own life and that of a python or leopard, Hux felt his own life and the lives of the expedition party were worth a predator or two.  

He scanned through the trees and vines cautiously.  Many predators were well camouflaged, and often hid somewhere higher up where their prey might avoid looking.  It would be very easy to accidentally miss seeing something dangerous in the foliage.  He didn’t spot a predator, but he did spot something else…

“Hold on a minute,” Hux called, straying slightly off the path that Phasma had cut for them.  

“What is it?” asked Phasma.  Mitaka, the lad they’d hired to carry their equipment, also turned to have a look.  

Hux pulled his notebook and pen from his breast pocket which, thankfully, hadn’t been soaked through with sweat, “Lobelia. Just over there by that tree.”

He pointed to a shrub some distance away, bursting with blue and indigo blossoms.  He’d seen some blue flowers in England, but they were rare, and didn’t quite have the same richness in hue that the plants here seemed to possess.  It was a pity he hadn’t thought to bring a set of coloured pens with him, though he doubted his materials would be able to do the plants justice.  

“We shouldn’t stop for long,” said Phasma, “Besides, it would be a good idea to get back to camp before nightfall.”  

“Of course,” replied Hux, “I shouldn’t be more than a few minutes.”  

He waded through the tall brush, feeling the long grasses tickle at his clothes as he did his best to move through them.  He really ought to have brought a machete, perhaps he would bring one with him next time.  There had to be a spare in the camp somewhere.  

As he ducked down to get a closer look at the flowers and opened his notebook he could hear Mitaka settling his pack on the ground and Phasma muttering to him, probably something about not damaging equipment.  Examining the flower, Hux separated it into shapes in his mind, sketching out each individual shape rather than trying to capture the more complex whole all at once.  He’d never been good at sketching, not in the artistic sense where everything had character and could be interpreted, but he was perfectly capable of rendering an image onto paper so the viewer could recognize what he had drawn.  His roses looked like roses and his cats looked like cats, there just wasn’t anything particularly interesting about them.  

Concentrating on the plant also took his mind off the heat, though he did occasionally have to pause his work to wipe the sweat from his brow with a gloved hand.  Glancing from the plant to his sketch he was quite satisfied with his work.  He was about to close it when he felt something heavy drop onto his shoulder.

Hux jerked himself back with an admittedly undignified gasp.  Whatever had touched him did likewise, obviously not expecting any sudden movement from him.  Hux only caught a flash of it out of the corner of his eye.  It was small, furry, brown...or had it been grey?  It happened so quickly that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to describe it.  Whatever it was, it had dove past the lobelia deeper into the foliage.  

It had probably run off, but Hux had a feeling that it hadn’t gone terribly far.  It had dropped down, so it probably wasn’t any sort of rodent.  It was more likely a primate, the very thing they were sent to study and had not seen any of thus far.  Hux turned and glanced at Phasma and Mitaka.  He might go ahead, just a meter or two.  If he saw no sign of it, he would turn back and they would go back to camp as planned.

Gathering his sketchbook and utensils into one hand, he used the other to push through the collection of shrubs, vines, and slim young trees that lay ahead of him, in the general direction of where the little beast had seemed to be going.  He was confident that at least he had seen which way it went.  

A few paces in, Hux caught a flash of yellow-ish brown fur scampering across a branch to his left and turned immediately. If he could only get a good look at the creature it might be enough to sketch it roughly from memory back at camp.  However, if it stopped, if it stood still long enough that he could make an accurate rendering, that would be far more ideal.  

Luck was apparently on his side, because as he faced it, the small furry primate paused, looking down at him from its perch curiously with wide brown eyes. Hux fumbled for his sketchbook, eager to seize the moment while it lasted. Though he knew their financier, Lord Snoke, was hoping for discoveries on more impressive specimens, such as the gorilla native to these parts, it surely wouldn’t hurt Hux’s own extensive research to have documented all creatures great and small native to equatorial Africa.

“Hux, we really should be heading back to camp now.” Phasma called from a few meters back.

“Yes, yes of course, I’m right behind you.” Hux responded, hastily trying to finish his rendering of the monkey’s face.

It was of course at this moment that the infernal thing chattered down at him and swung onto a neighboring tree, bounding away once more into the underbrush.

“Blast,” Hux cursed under his breath, he had been so close to finishing, he couldn’t just stop now.  He knew where it had gone, and he wouldn't be straying too far from the group, so he didn't see any harm in finding the beast and sketching for just a minute or two longer.  

He followed after the little monkey, treading as carefully as possible. He didn't want to frighten it away.  In spite of all his caution though, he slipped.  

Hux fell hard and at an awkward angle, landing on his side.  His foot, caught in a stray vine, had caused his ankle to twist painfully.  Hux hissed at the feeling and instinctively tried to kick his foot free.  After his third try he managed to get it loose.  It hurt terribly, and the confines of his high ankled boots felt unbearably tight.  Was it swelling?  He would have to get the boot off to check properly.  

Forgetting the monkey for a moment, he began undoing the buttons on his spats to get at the boot underneath.  He bit at his lip, instinctively trying to conceal the pain.  He wondered why he bothered.  There were no people around to judge him if he let out a groan or a whimper.  

Though he did seem to have an audience…

The small primate perched itself a scant few feet from where he was lying, giving Hux a curious look.  Hux could only sneer back, "I suppose you found that most entertaining…"  

The little monster actually had the audacity to smile before sticking its tongue out and spitting.  Hux groaned.  The thing couldn’t have understood him, but it’s timing was uncannily on-point.  His leg still hurt, but he imagined he would still be able to walk on it.  It was quite lucky that it was only a slight sprain, since he would hate to miss any of the expedition over a silly self-inflicted injury.  Hux made a mental note to tell Phasma to slow down when they started to make their way back to camp.  With a groan he returned to sketching.  The sooner it was done the sooner he could return to camp and rest.  

He had finished most of it before, there were just one or two small details to take care of.  Within a few moments it was done and Hux felt satisfied that he had finally done something of some consequence, even if it was just a small thing.  He looked up at the monkey, “Well, that’s that then.”  

It was gone.  Hux supposed he shouldn’t have expected it to stay very long.  Animals, especially wild ones had minds of their own and could be finicky when they were in the mood for it.  Expecting a monkey to hold still was like expecting a regular week of dry weather every month in London.  

Carefully standing up, Hux grabbed onto a nearby branch to steady himself. Gingerly, he put weight back onto his injured leg. It smarted, but it would have to do.

Hux turned back around towards where Phasma and the rest of the expedition had been, expecting to find them just behind the thicket of bamboo. Peering through the stalks though, Hux found himself looking at more tropical flora, with no human beings in sight.

He swallowed, suddenly aware of how vulnerable he was, injured and alone in the jungles of the Congo. He immediately pushed the worry from his mind, Phasma would simply be behind those next trees over to his left. Nothing to work himself up about...

She wasn't there.

Hux could feel his heart thudding in his chest, and although he had discouraged his men from making a racket that might scare away potential wildlife discoveries, he tentatively called out, hoping they were at least close enough to hear him.

“Phasma? Are you there? Can you hear me? Phasma?”

No answer. At this point Hux was beginning to panic. He was all alone. An Englishman stranded in the wilds of Africa. No weapons to defend himself with, no compass to find his way, and no food or water.

He limped towards where he had sworn his group had been, hoping that perhaps he had been wrong; still there was no one in sight.

Trying to stifle the urge to wail in despair of his current predicament, Hux tried to calm his racing mind with rationality. If he stayed in one place, Phasma could possibly come back for him, but it would be approaching evening in a few hours time and they were unlikely to go searching for him in the dark. If he kept moving -- well -- he could become more hopelessly lost; or perhaps he would end up back at camp, or find some friendly nearby group to lodge with overnight.

Keeping moving seemed to be the best option, and walking at least felt like he was doing _something_ as opposed to waiting around for something awful to befall him.

As the minutes passed, Hux hoped to have come upon a cut path that looked familiar. Instead, it seemed like he had become even more lost. And for the last ten minutes, he hadn't been able to shake the feeling that he was being watched. Pausing in the middle of a clearing, Hux stopped to catch his breath and gather his senses.

He caught some movement out of the corner of his eye.  Imagining it might be the monkey he turned and saw something he hadn’t been expecting.  Spots.  Just a flash of them before they vanished, moving, circling around with Hux himself as the central point.  He was sure he hadn’t imagined it, and those particular spots, brown with black rings, were ones that he had been hoping to see from a much further distance and with Phasma somewhere nearby with a gun.  He felt like a rabbit staring up the barrel of a gun at a hunter.  Was he supposed to run?  No, big cats took standing up suddenly as a challenge, or at least lions did.  Running was sure to attract its attention, and Hux was certain, especially with his bad ankle, that he would never be able to outrun it.  

He needed somewhere to hide.  Somewhere close.  And he had to find it fast.  

Up a tree?  No, leopards could climb.  In the tall grass or a bush?  No, they had a good sense of smell, it would find him.  Hux spotted an old tree.  The bottom looked hollow.  If he could wriggle inside it, perhaps it wouldn’t be able to reach him.  It was the best option he had.  Once he was inside, he could, what? Pray it wouldn't eat him? He found himself wishing for Phasma and her gun.

He ran as quickly as he could on his bad leg, keeping as close to the ground as he could.  He could hear large paws smacking against the ground closely.  Far too close for comfort.  Hux could feel his heart in his throat as he got down on his front, hoping there was enough space inside to hold him.  He couldn’t feel anything.  It was as if he was a racehorse with blinders , ignorant to everything except the desperate need to move forward, and fast.  

He was almost in the whole way when he felt a pull on his bad leg.  Of course it would go for his lame foot.  He howled as the Leopard twisted his foot, feeling the pressure of sharp teeth pressing not quite through the leather of his boot.  It hurt.  Hux held on wherever he could find a grip as it tried to drag him out.  He shouted.  It hurt.  He couldn’t hide.  He could feel claws digging into his leg.  It hurt so much…

There was another hard, painful tug.  Hux though for certain his foot would snap clean off.  He felt a sharp pain in his leg, then release.  The pressure and twisting dissipated.  Hux quickly pulled his inside, crouched and cowering in the dark of the hollow tree.  

Outside he heard noise, growling and grunting.  There was something else out there, and from the sound of it, whatever it was was fighting the leopard. Hux cringed and felt cold.  He’d studied the behavior of predators. Often when something had a kill or cornered prey, other predators, scavengers would come and try to steal it.  That must have been what was happening now.  Two or more animals were fighting over which of them would get to kill and eat him, though not necessarily in that order, a thought that kept Hux petrified in his hiding place.  

He couldn't figure out for the life of him what animal was fighting with the leopard.  It didn't sound like a cat or dog.  It was grunting and…shouting?  It almost sounded human, but that couldn't be right.  They had been assured that no natives lived in the area they were studying.  Had previous visitors been wrong?  Or had something changed between excursions?  

There were more sounds of struggle, then silence.  Hux waited, knowing if it was animals that had been fighting his life would be claimed by the victor.  He watched the opening for signs of clawed appendages reaching in to grab him or the sound of heavy paws on the ground.  He heard sounds, insects, leaves and grass rustling in the wind.  Hux continued to wait, not wanting to wriggle out only to wind up in something’s jaws.  Could it be waiting for him to come out?  Small cats waited patiently for mice to scurry out of their holes, a big cat might be doing the same to him right now.  

He waited, listening to the natural sounds of the jungle.  In time he heard the return of birdsong.  Surely if birds were returning it meant they felt safe enough to do so.  Was the leopard gone?  Was the other creature gone as well?  Hux waited, and only gained more pain for his efforts.  Now that he wasn't focusing on survival, the throbbing and searing cuts on his leg were all he could focus on.  He couldn't see the damage, but he could feel it, along with hot blood cooling as it trickled down his leg.  

Slowly, painstakingly, he began the process of wriggling his way out.  The pain in his ankle made it tricky, and he was certain that the leopard had taken his boot.  He made his way, pausing frequently when he realized there were no more predators coming for him.  It was slow going, but he managed to work his way out.  Finally getting his head out, he froze as he saw spots again.  

The leopard was on the ground lying silent and cold on the jungle floor, a spear through its breast.  Hux shuddered; so there were natives after all.  That complicated things.  They were adequately prepared for animals, but not people.  Not one of them was a linguist or an anthropologist so any contact between their parties was sure to end in disaster.  Hux looked around for any other traces of humans, but found none, just the spear lodged in the big cat.  

Hux limped towards it.  If he was going to be stuck in the jungle facing wild men and blood-thirsty animals, then he wanted something to protect himself with until Phasma could find him.  

He reached the leopard and grasped the spear, giving it a tug.  It was stuck fast.  Whoever had jabbed it inside the giant cat must have pierced it straight to the bone.  He gave it another tug, but it was no use, the spear wasn’t going anywhere.  

Why leave it though?  Surely if someone made such an impressive kill they would want it for a trophy.  Not to mention the use its hide, teeth, claws and bones might be put to.  Perhaps it was too heavy for one or two men to carry.  If that was the case, more people would return soon to claim the carcass.  Hux knew he would have to leave, but he was still injured and alone in a jungle full of animals that had learned for generations that the weak, sickly and lost made the easiest prey.  He had to get out of this damned-

Without warning, Hux felt something collide with him and sweep the ground from under him.  

One moment he had been on solid ground; the next he was seeing the ground flying underneath him.  He felt a tug, a bit like being on a swing set, then terrifying weightlessness, then another tug as he felt the pull of a swing fighting against gravity.  He began to feel other things too.  There was a hand- an arm around his waist.  His torso was against a warm, solid body.  Recovering some of his senses, Hux looked up and saw that he was, in fact, slung over the shoulder of some gigantic, scarred, long haired heathen, sailing yards above the jungle floor.  

In that moment, Hux did what he thought any rational man of science would have done.  He panicked.  

“Put me down!” shouted Hux, slamming his tightly balled fists against the man’s bare back, “Put me downputmedownputmedownthisinstant!”  

His words came out in a blur as he fruitlessly kicked his legs and swung his fists.  The man, creature, thing...Hux felt its muscles shifting and the tug and swing of gravity stop.  As soon as the grip on his waist was loose enough, Hux pulled away, falling to the ground and looking about for cover.  A tree.  He was up in another damned tree.  With nowhere else to go he scooted against the trunk and stared up at his captor.  

What struck Hux first was the colour of his skin.  Tanned, but not dark.  Whoever he was, he certainly wasn’t native African.  The second thing Hux noticed was that the man was practically naked, with only a loincloth to preserve his lacking modesty.  The third thing Hux noticed was the man’s physique.  He was large, muscular.  They might have been close to the same height but the man had reached levels of physical perfection that Hux knew he could never dream of reaching.  

Hux stared up at the man, his captor, presumably.  He cocked his head like an animal as he crouched, approaching on all fours and sniffing the air like a dog.  Was he feral?  Would he understand language?  How on earth could this man, either American or European from the look of him, have come all this way on his own and survived for so long?  

“Now...now look here, whoever you are...I’m not ungrateful…” Hux began.  The man kept approaching, reaching levels of closeness that Hux was certainly not comfortable with, “You need to stay back!”  

  

The man looked curiously at the booted foot Hux had thrust warningly against his clavicle.  He cocked his head, and to Hux’s alarm, lifted his leg up and began twisting it, examining the boot and toying with the laces.  He quickly figured out how to undo the knot and how to loosen it.  With a few patient wiggles he had taken the boot off, along with Hux’s sock, and was giving it his undivided attention.  

Hux watched, horrified and fascinated, as his boot was held up and examined from every possible angle as the man pulled at the stitching and worked the sock out of the boot.  To Hux’s disgust he gave the inside a sniff and a tentative lick before banging it against the large branch they were sitting in.  The shoe quickly lost his interest as he moved in closer, this time looking at Hux’s bare foot.  

“No!  No, no, no!” Hux called, holding out a hand warningly.  

The man either didn’t understand or was ignoring him.  He held Hux’s foot by the ankle and examined it much the same way as he had done with the boot.  Hux froze and quieted as he pulled at each toe, giving them each a wiggle before moving in closer.  Hux tugged at his foot desperately as the man closed in, sniffing at his foot.  

“Now that’s quite enough!” snapped Hux, finally wrenching his foot free.  

“That’s quite enough!”  

Hux’s eyes widened.  The man, mimicking his inflections, echoed back the end of his sentence.  He froze, watching the man as he once again cocked his head like a confused and curious dog.  He...clearly had no idea what he had said, and was mimicking it like a bird or wild animal’s call.  Just to make sure, Hux hazarded, “You can speak?”  

“You can speak,” echoed the man, moving closer.  

He pulled at Hux’s other leg, drawing a hiss from the slighter man.  He looked down at it, piteously, if Hux was reading his expression correctly and handled it much more gingerly than he had the other leg.  He made a series of sounds, not like any language Hux had ever heard.  There were no consonants in it, just a series of concerned grunts.  He looked up at Hux’s face and moved a little closer.  

Hux supposed it was then he got his own first good look at his saviour and captor’s face.  They might have been close to the same age, though it was hard to tell under layers of jungle grime.  The man’s hair was long, dark, possibly curly under all the matting.  He had a long, slightly asymmetrical nose, and plenty of moles to accent his face.  He had full lips and large ears, but his eyes were what caught Hux’s attention.  They were very dark, darker than most of the people with brown eyes Hux had met.  

The man seemed equally fascinated, but unlike Hux, refused to keep a polite distance.  

By the time Hux regained his senses, he realized he was practically being straddled by the half-naked wild man.  Not knowing what else to do, he froze.  He’d never been in this sort of situation.  He’d only ever kissed a boy once, and that had been during the school production of Romeo and Juliet at Eton.  He’d been lying on a stage, pretending to be dead while an upperclassman chastely pecked him on the lips.  This was...this was…

Hux’s mind couldn’t even register what this was.  He was so out of his element, so confused and blindsided, all he could do was lie still and hope the world would start making sense again.  The wild man seemed to know exactly what he was after, continuing his exploration.  Hux felt his face being touched, around his eyes and lips, before fingers trailed up towards his hair, lacing through it, brushing underneath to watch the short hair fan downwards again, and gave it a tug.  Not hard, just enough to test whether or not it was attached.  

His exploration briefly broke away from Hux’s face as the wild man’s hands trailed down to his clothes, tugging at them.  Hux’s mind briefly returned to its usual senses as the man tugged at his collar and leaned in close, trying to get a peek under his shirt.  

“No!” Hux exclaimed, slapping the man hard across the cheek.  

The man pulled back, looking at Hux indignantly he folded his arms over his chest protectively and explained, “Now...now look here, I don’t know who you are, but you can’t just...try to look under someone’s clothes like that.  It’s indecent.”  

“It’s indecent,” the man echoed.  

“Yes, precisely,” replied Hux, briefly forgetting that the man was only parroting whatever he said back to him.  

The man seemed put off by being slapped, and Hux supposed he ought to consider himself lucky that the man wasn’t physically retaliating.  However, he wasn’t so deterred that he had given up on his exploration entirely.  He approached again, continuing his study of Hux’s face, this time becoming much more forward.  Hux felt his face being held by the cheeks, a bit roughly at first, while the wild man examined him.  

Was he the first human the man had seen?  It could be, since this area was reportedly uninhabited, but surely...surely he came from somewhere.  Obviously he hadn’t been born here.  

He then recalled, as the man brushed a thumb over his lips, something he was told before he came.  Explorers didn’t come often, but treasure hunters had.  Frequently.  Several years ago an American heiress, infamous for marrying a smuggler of all people, had taken an excursion with their young son.  The boat, unfortunately never returned, and the last reports of their whereabouts placed them off the coast of the congo…If this was the boy who had disappeared that day, he was the right age.  Had he been alone all this time?  

He was certainly acting as if he had never had human company.  Hux wasn’t a complete novice to animal behaviour and was recognizing various patterns that seemed in line with how a gorilla might act.  The way he walked on his knuckles, his grunting, and keen interest in his hair all seemed to resemble that of an ape.  

The man was currently tracing Hux’s nose, then touching his own, trying to compare their features.  There had to be a way for them to communicate, for Hux to explain that he wanted the man to let him go…

...back into the jungle full of man eating animals and no idea how to find the rest of the expedition.  

Whether he liked it or not, it seemed his best chances for survival were with this man.  Hux held still, letting him explore while he tried to figure out exactly how this was going to work.  He had to get this man to take him back, there was no other way he was going to survive.  How was he going to say that?  To explain it to someone with no grasp of language?  As soon as the man lost interest in him, he was going to be left alone to fend for himself, and when that happened, Hux knew he wouldn’t be able to survive.  

“Please, can’t you speak a-ah!” Hux began, but was cut off by a finger pushing past his lips to examine his teeth.  

Hux grunted indignantly, shoving at the man’s shoulders.  The stranger, for his part, seemed to think that it was some sort of game.  He would touch something and Hux would shove him and squawk.  He was also determined to keep his finger in his mouth.  Hux was equally determined not to bite, as much as he wanted to.  This man was his only means of survival and he wasn’t going to do anything to drive him off.  He pried Hux’s mouth open with his fingers and leaned in closer to have a look inside his mouth, licking and tapping at his own teeth in turn, finding their teeth were roughly the same in number and size.  

He moved in closer, sniffing, and Hux cringed at the sensation.  The man’s breath tickled against his ear and neck as he seemed to pinpoint exactly where Hux had used cologne that morning to cover up the smell of sweat.  Hux had dabbed it behind his ears that morning and on his neck, and those seemed to be the places the man was most interested in.  His long nose was settled right up against Hux’s ear as he let out a series of grunts that sounded like approval as he continued his unwanted nuzzling.  

It was hot, and the proximity of the large body, practically on top of him, only made it worse.  Hux cringed, pushing back gingerly, trying to show that he didn’t want the man to go away, he just didn’t want him quite so close.  He pulled away, but only slightly, nuzzling against Hux’s jaw as he went.  Hux heard more sniffing and soft grunts before stopping near Hux’s chin.  

Hux had no idea what possessed the man, whether it was animal behaviour or something else, but he felt something brushing close to his lips.  He froze, and similarly to his first kiss, Hux played dead, only letting out a slight whimper as the man brushed their lips together.  After a moment he pulled back, and to Hux’s chagrin, had what had to be the world’s stupidest grin on his face.  Combined with the layers of grime and the overall wildness of the man, what should have been a silly expression seemed terrifying.  

Still grinning, he drew himself back onto his haunches, gesturing at his chest with both hands, “Kylo.”  

Hux cocked his brow and repeated, “Kylo?”  

Hux nearly jumped out of his skin as the man let out an excited whoop, leaping with joy before moving in and placing his hands over Hux’s chest.  

It took a moment for Hux to understand what the man wanted before he muttered, “Oh...Oh!  My name.”  

“My name!” Kylo exclaimed happily, moving to nuzzle Hux again.  

“No, no, there’s been a mistake!” said Hux, keeping Kylo at a distance by keeping a hand on top of the man’s head and hyperextending his arm.  If they were to communicate effectively at all, the man couldn’t go on thinking that his name was ‘my name.’  Armitage was too much of a mouthful, so his last name would have to do.  

Hux gestured at his chest the way Kylo had done, “Hux.”  

The man cocked his head.  In his frustration Hux repeated more irately, “ _Hux_.”  

“Hux?” asked Kylo.  

Hux nodded and repeated, “Hux.”  

Kylo reached forward and tugged on Hux’s jacket, “My name.”  He then tapped Hux on the nose, “Hux.”  

**The red haired explorer rolled his eyes, “Close enough.”**


	2. Chapter 2

It soon became apparent to Hux that staying in the tree was not an option. Eventually, whether from hunger or fatigue, he would be driven down, and there was no possibility of climbing down with his bad leg. Hux glanced down, seeing patches of ground through the jungle foliage and quickly turned away as the feeling of vertigo took him.  

The wild man, ‘Kylo’ it seemed, was not bothered by his surroundings in the slightest. He had returned his attention to Hux’s boot and sock, but was quickly distracted by Hux’s boots. It seemed he had a fascination with buttons, practicing opening and closing them. He had all of the discarded clothing lined up and was thrilled by his little examination of them all. Hux watched as finally, the wild man tried to put the shoe on his foot, finding it too small. In the end, Kylo settled on the sock, making a sort of puppet out of it over his hand, and using it to scratch and groom his grimy body.  Hux could only hope he would never be forced to wear that sock again.  

He fidgeted, watching Kylo play with the garments and hissed slightly as he put a little more pressure than he meant to on his bad foot. Kylo looked up immediately and surged forward, crouching over him, “Hux.”  

“Hurts. Can you understand hurt?” asked Hux, wincing as he drew his foot back. He knew Kylo couldn’t understand speech, so he tried to gesture, “I need bandages. To wrap around.” He moved his hands around his leg, and to his relief, Kylo at least watched, “Wrap. Can you understand?”  

“Wrap,” said Kylo, lifting his arm and moving it around. He backed away and retrieved one of the boots, “Wrap?”  

“No, cover,” said Hux, pushing away at it so Kylo would understand that it wasn’t what he wanted.  How could he explain wrapping? Kylo didn’t wear clothes. Perhaps he had no idea about bandaging wounds or medicine. Hux dwelled for a moment on a sudden, new worry. If he couldn’t get medicine, his wounds could become infected. He needed to at least get them cleaned, even if he couldn’t get them dressed. He tried to gesture, moving his hand above his leg in a scrubbing motion. “Wash.” He made the winding motion again, “Wrap.”  

There was a look of realization on Kylo’s face and he made a series of urgent grunts. He took Hux by the arm at the bicep and pointed across the jungle, making more nonsensical sounds. Hux sucked in a breath at the sensation of being pulled forward. The wild man was so powerful, he could probably fling him about like a used rag and there would be little Hux could do about it. For a moment he was distracted by the firm grip, the way the large hand nearly circled his arm and drew him forward.  

“Ooooh?” Asked Kylo, with an inflection that might have meant he was seeking understanding or agreement.  

“If you say so…” muttered Hux.  

Kylo let go of his arm and turned suddenly, giving his back to Hux and slapping his own shoulders.  Hux’s brow shot high up his forehead as Kylo paused before giving his shoulders another slap and grunting at him. Hux shifted as carefully as he could, mindful of his leg and the fact that if he slipped, he would be sent careening down several tens of feet to the unforgiving jungle floor. He moved to pat Kylo’s shoulder. “What? You want this?”  

The wild man seized Hux’s arm again and pulled it down across his chest, which in turn pulled Hux forward, flush against his hot, grimy back. Close to his hair, Hux could smell dirt, oils and who could guess what else clinging to the matted black mess. Hux turned his head to escape the smell as Kylo took his other arm, trying to press both of his hands together.  

It was...strangely like hugging him from behind, an act that made Hux incredibly uncomfortable.  He wasn’t used to close, physical contact. Not to mention how filthy he was going to be, pressing himself against a body that hadn’t been washed in a dog’s age.  

Kylo slowly rose up, bringing Hux with him. It was a good thing they were roughly the same height, or Hux was certain he would have been left dangling in the air, clinging to the wild man’s neck. He kept his weight on his good foot, peering over Kylo’s shoulder and wondering how the man intended to help him down. Perhaps he was meant to hold on while Kylo climbed down the tree to the safety of the jungle floor.  

Then Kylo clutched his hands, let out a primal yell, and leapt off the tree branch.  

Hux couldn’t even manage to scream as he followed the man into a freefall. Suddenly it was broken and he felt himself swing upwards. As soon as his mind registered what was happening, he tightened his grip around Kylo’s neck and threw his legs around the other man’s waist, too frightened for his mind to register the pain in his leg. The man wasn’t holding onto him at all anymore, trusting his limbs were strong enough to hold on tightly. Despite his build, Hux had enough strength to hold himself up, but he didn’t want to. This was terrifying.  

“Kylo! Stop! Stop! I want to walk!” Hux shouted, feeling frightened tears prick at his eyes, “Let me down!”  

“Let me down!” Kylo practically sang, blissfully ignorant of Hux’s horror.  

Hux let out a whimper and held on tighter, sealing his eyes shut and hoping they reached their destination soon.  

* * *

 

Abruptly, they stopped. Hux was certain that he had left his stomach back on that tree branch, as he breathed deeply through his nose to calm the rollicking of his insides. Since it felt as if Kylo was standing on a level surface, Hux began to unwind his legs from around the man’s middle, feeling his shame catch up with him as violently as his queasiness had as he noted how readily he’d clung to the naked man.

Hux heaved a sigh of relief when he finally felt the tips of his toes touch solid ground. Slightly detaching his torso from Kylo’s firm back, Hux dared to open his eyes a crack and peek down at where the wild man had brought him. This happened to be a small platform lashed to the side of a tree and still much too high up for Hux’s liking. Seeing that he was teetering on his tip toes right on the edge of the precipice, Hux made a small embarrassing noise and tightened his grip around Kylo again, hauling his legs up to cling to him like a baby primate clinging to its mother. 

“Hmm.” Kylo grunted.

“Is there, perhaps, anywhere you could have brought us that wasn’t an unsafe distance from the ground?” Hux asked weakly, hoping that this wasn’t their final destination for the night. 

“HMM.” Kylo replied more insistently, like he was trying to convey something to Hux.

Hux had already squeezed his eyes shut again, preparing himself for the possibility of more nausea inducing vine-swinging. But surprisingly, there wasn’t another sudden drop, but simply the jostling of Kylo walking forward. Hux focused on the pain of his ankle to distract himself from the feeling of rippling abdominals and obliques pressed against his calves and thighs. What on earth had gotten into him? 

Hux felt Kylo bend, as if getting into a crouching position, and prepared to be roughly deposited on the ground.

With surprising gentleness, Kylo settled Hux down onto what felt like a...solid wooden floor? That had to be it, as Hux’s palms indented into the wood, collecting little slivers. 

Not believing his senses, Hux’s eyes fluttered open and adjusted to the dusty, sun dappled interior of what looked like .... a house. A tree house. The wild man had brought him to his tree house. 

Looking around, Hux could see that there were two levels to the structure, a couple windows with what looked like tattered, insect bitten pieces of canvas tied to their frames to keep the sun out, and even furniture. There was a small bookshelf, a few old chests, and various other babbles of civilization that littered the floor of the main room. 

“You brought me to your home? Is that it?” Hux said with relief, his voice rising with a hiccup of hysterical laughter.

Kylo nodded at him earnestly, “Hmmm.” 

“Oh you meant home! That’s what you’ve been trying to tell me all this time.” So Kylo did have a sense of the English language after all! Though this was a rough start, Hux was relieved that the communication barrier might not be quite as wide as he originally thought. 

Kylo heaved a sigh of what sounded like exasperation. He gesticulated at Hux, wringing his arms through the air as if to roughly mimic the action of gathering something. He then pushed his palm out towards Hux, firmly propelling it through the air before stopping with a grunt as if to say, “You, stay.” 

“You want me to stay put?” Hux asked, warily gesturing at himself and then patting the treehouse’s floor.

Kylo seemed to almost nod at that, and, to Hux’s horror, he suddenly bounded off and out of sight through the treehouse’s entrance. 

“No, no wait! You can’t just leave me here alone-AGH!” Hux winced as he suddenly stood up, putting weight onto his wounded ankle. He was alone, again. Kylo had rescued him only to then abandon him in some godforsaken treehouse in the middle of the jungle. At least, Hux reasoned, there was now a roof over his head, as well as walls to keep out predators and by the look of it, plenty of trinkets around to make himself a splint. 

He limped over to the bookshelf first, curious at what use a man who could barely speak would have with thick volumes of literature. The book’s titles (all written in English), suggested an avid reader, one who prized political writings as well as literary classics. As Hux flipped through them he discovered volumes of Tocqueville’s  _ Democracy in America _ , Dumas’s _ The Count of Monte Cristo _ , a collection of Shakespeare’s works,  _ A Vindication on the Rights of Women _ \-- among others. Whoever originally owned these books, it couldn’t possibly be Kylo. So what had happened to the original owner? Again, Hux’s mind thought back to the story of the American heiress, the smuggler, and their young son, lost near the coast just about here….

Putting  _ Moby Dick  _ back onto the shelf, Hux turned his attention to the large wooden chest adjacent to him. Carefully he kneeled, and, finding the latch unlocked, Hux pulled back the lid to find -- clothing? There were voluminous dresses, reminiscent of the large hooped monstrosities popular for ladies during Hux’s childhood, as well as men’s waist coats, vests, and trousers, all of an old fashioned cut and style. The layers of fabric fluttered out of the confines of their box, piling up around Hux, until, near the bottom of the chest, his hand hit against something hard. He unwrapped the shawl that was nestled around the object, presumably to keep it from breaking. 

It was an old photograph. Though yellowed with age, Hux could nonetheless tell that it portrayed a dark haired young woman; proud and serious, who held herself like royalty; and a much more casually dressed dark haired man, who looked sideways at the camera, a devilish smirk apparent in the way the corners of his eyes wrinkled. And in the woman’s arms, there was a child, swaddled in blankets with only its head sticking out, a head that was covered in dark curls of hair...

The child had to be Kylo, Hux thought as he brushed his thumb over the glass, as if that tiny bit of contact would help him understand the family stranded in this jungle before him. But what had happened to his parents? Surely they must be long dead by now, if their son’s almost nonexistent language skills and feralness was any marker to go by. Hux would then be the first human that Kylo had seen in years. Decades? He would have had to have been an infant when they died if his language skills were so underdeveloped. But how could two healthy, practical (by the looks of their tree house) adults fail to survive in a savage jungle where a helpless baby succeeded? It didn’t make any sense. 

_ I’ll try to ask  him when he returns _ , he decided to himself, though he knew it was bound to be a fruitless exercise. Maybe through rudimentary speech and hand gestures they could communicate well enough for Hux to solve some of the mystery of Kylo’s past. 

Hux busied himself with carefully rewrapping the frame into the muslin shawl that had originally  encased it. Methodically, he folded and placed the clothing items he had strewn about himself back into the chest. It was soothing, in a way, helping take his mind off the throbbing pain in his ankle -- which would no doubt become infected if Hux couldn’t find a way to clean and dress the wound. 

He handled each item carefully. They were well preserved, especially given the awful humidity and the amount of time that had elapsed. There was some wear, as was to be expected. Some of the garments had little holes chewed through them by rodents or insects, and they smelled slightly of mould. The smell could likely be washed away. Kylo didn’t seem to know about washing himself, so he might not have known that washing clothes was an option that was available to him.  

Suddenly, as he was folding up the dress he heard a bloodcurdling shout.  

It barely sounded human, but it must have been. When Hux turned he saw Kylo barreling towards him on all fours, teeth bared and eyes narrowed into a terrifying glare. He barely had time to react as a palm thrusted into his shoulder and shoved him roughly against the floor and the dress was pulled so quickly from his hand that it felt as if it was burning. Kylo kept screaming, making terrible noises as he shoved all the clothes back into the trunk and locked it.  He covered it with his body, snarling, claiming this bit of territory as his alone.  

Hux raised his hand in front of himself defensively. There was a very angry, feral man who felt like he had encroached on his territory. Thinking back to what he knew about animal behaviour, he knew he shouldn’t rise; he shouldn’t challenge him. It was a fight that he wouldn’t be able to win, weak and injured as he was. He needed Kylo to help him. Hopefully he hadn’t ruined what chances he had of getting the wild man’s assistance.  

He hadn’t thought it would matter if he looked through the things or not. In hindsight it was very foolish. These were Kylo’s last relics of his family and his past. No doubt they were precious to him beyond measure. Kylo could understand a little, so Hux attempted to do something he only did in the most extreme circumstances.  

He apologized.  

“Sorry!” said Hux, his voice coming out harsh and laboured from fear. He took a few shallow breaths before he repeated more slowly, “I’m sorry...I didn’t mean it.”  

Kylo looked up at him, snapping his head in his direction and showing off a row of teeth. He let out a barking noise then stopped, taking several deep breaths before the maddened expression left his face completely. His expression slowly softened as he looked Hux over. He seemed remorseful, and yet somehow restrained, as if his regret over his actions was begrudged.  

He slowly moved off the trunk and Hux couldn’t help inching back, unsure of how Kylo would treat him after offending him so deeply. Kylo easily closed the distance between them, straddling Hux once again and leaning over him. He made some grunting noises that sounded anything but apologetic as he dragged his fingers through Hux’s hair, pushing it back into something that resembled the order it had once been in.  

He moved off of Hux and away at a moderate pace, refusing to make eye contact as he did so.  As he made his way to the doorway of the treehouse, Hux noticed a small bundle of different leaves scattered over the entrance. Kylo must have dropped them all in his desperation to get Hux away from his trunk. Kylo picked them up again before somewhat awkwardly walking upright on his legs. He practically stumbled to Hux’s side and dropped the leaves beside him. He shoved some long ones towards Hux before sheepishly grunting, “Wrap…”  

He left again and stumbled back in with a basin, presumably filled with rainwater. He dropped it next to Hux, causing it to slosh slightly over the side and mumbled, “Wash.”  

Hux was astonished by his change in mood. The wild man was suddenly...embarrassed?  Ashamed? He retreated slightly before crouching beside Hux, gently pressing his nose to his arm, nuzzling him like an overgrown housecat. Clearly the man wasn’t entirely stable, but he had enough sanity to understand that his behaviour wasn’t acceptable. He seemed to be seeking forgiveness for his actions, or at least waiting for Hux to stop being frightened of him. He pressed his nose to Hux’s arm again, and the explorer relented. He put a hand on Kylo’s head, cringing at the way his oily hair felt under his ungloved hands, “That’s enough, you don’t need to do that.”  

Unfortunately, the wild man only seemed encouraged by the touches, moving in even closer for more unwanted sniffing and prodding, especially at his short hair. Hux sighed and looked over the little gifts that he had been brought. He wasn’t a herbologist, his expertise mostly lying in animal behaviour, so he would have to trust that Kylo had brought him something that would be good for him. The man had been living in the jungle for years, so as loathe as he was to admit it, that made Kylo the expert. Hux began rubbing his wounds clean with water, the cuts smarting at the contact.  To his surprise, Kylo reached down and joined in, wiping the wounds and areas around them clean with his fingers. A good, long, soak would have been more effective, perhaps with some salts, but this was all he had to work with, so it would have to do.  

Kylo then took one of the long leaves and very carefully began to peel it in half, revealing a viscous fluid inside the plant. It stung the second Kylo tried to applying to his leg, but it was a familiar pain, something like the way alcohol felt when it got in a wound. The pain wasn’t bad, it meant it was working. At least Hux hoped it did.  

The fluid in the plant was sticky enough to keep it in place, but Hux knew that if he moved too much it would come off. While the healing properties in the plant were working, he would need to hold still as much as possible. There really wasn’t anywhere to rest in the treehouse, no chairs or beds, and resting up against the trunk seemed to be out of the question.  

Kylo provided a solution for him, settling behind him. Hux tried to move away, or at least lean forward to avoid direct contact, but Kylo decided to hold him fast across the chest, keeping him pulled in snugly. He felt the wild man’s free hand suddenly rake through his hair, ruffling it and making a startled sound. Compared to Kylo’s hair, Hux’s must have seemed strange. Since it was clean, it was lighter and its shortness often made it spring back into place. Kylo finally stopped ruffling it, instead opting to draw his fingers through it slowly, parting the hair and tracing along his scalp.  

Hux had seen these behaviours before. He’d often seen primates in captivity grooming each other as a way of socializing. Kylo was probably looking for dead skin and dirt to remove, though Hux was distracted as he noticed that the feral man had seated him between his massive legs. Carefully, he tried to lean forward again, since the position and the man’s lack of clothes made the situation horribly suspect. Kylo kept him in place though, grunting softly into his ear while he combed through Hux’s hair.

“This really isn’t necessary…” mumbled Hux, trying not to make any contact with Kylo’s bare thighs.  

Suddenly Kylo stopped and his hand moved close to Hux’s mouth.  Hux felt something flutter close to his cheek and jerked away so he could look down.  

It was a bug.  

Kylo was pulling bugs out of his hair.  

And he seemed to want Hux to eat them.  

Hux grunted and twisted his head away each time Kylo prodded the live insect against his lips.  He shook his head and tried to show that he didn’t want to eat it. He was starting to get hungry, but he wasn’t desperate enough to eat flies yet. Kylo eventually pulled back and Hux heard the sounds of lip-smacking and swallowing, alerting him to the unfortunate fate of the bug that had been in his hair. Hux couldn’t help mumbling, “That’s disgusting…”  

He heard Kylo occasionally opening his mouth as he paused, causing Hux to cringe at the thought of more bugs being pulled from his hair and being eaten. Once his ‘grooming’ was finished, Kylo pulled him in close again for more nuzzling. Hux wondered if he was still trying to be apologetic, or if Kylo intended to treat him like this from here on out. If he did, he was in for a rude awakening once Hux’s leg healed.  

There wasn’t any sort of movement to suggest that Kylo was grooming or cleaning him anymore.  He was fairly certain that at this point, the contact Kylo was giving him was more for socialization purposes than out of any necessity. He wondered if Kylo thought of him as a member of his own group or pack. That would...complicate things.  

Kylo moved away and began repositioning himself, moving to Hux’s side and placed an arm across his back. Hux watched as another slipped under his legs, and he couldn’t help gasping when Kylo lifted him. He knew he wasn’t a heavy man, but he was still a fully grown man, and slightly taller than average. Kylo barely let out a grunt of effort, carrying him as easily as a child might carry a stuffed toy. Wrapping his arms around Kylo’s neck, Hux was able to steady himself slightly, looking up at his rescuer in awe of his physical strength.  

His strength was enormous, but his balance seemed to be lacking. Kylo seemed adept to moving on all four limbs, or using only his legs when he was crouched over, but standing erect and balanced seemed to be a struggle for him. Each little stumble he took caused Hux to cling harder, bracing himself in case Kylo fully lost his balance and fell on top of him. He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling every sudden dip and jolt as Kylo stumbled. When he did feel brave enough to open his eyes, Hux noted that he was being brought up a set of steps to a loft above. Seeing this, he squeezed his eyes shut again, fearing a very sudden and high drop.  

Finally he felt himself being lowered onto a solid surface. Looking about, he found himself in a sort of nest. Not like a bird’s nest at all, but the sort a larger animal might make to keep itself warm and comfortable at night. It was mostly made from leaves, but Hux also noticed quite a few feathers and what looked like the remnants of blankets.  Kylo must have carried him up to his own bed.  

“I’m not ungrateful, but if I take the bed, where will you-”

As if to answer his question, Kylo rolled against his back and locked his arms around Hux.  The explorer grumbled to himself, “Yes, of course. Why did I expect anything less?”  

The feral man continued to prod at him, maintaining a keen interest in his hair and clothes. Hux tried to edge away, if only slightly. He knew when the night cooled off they would be forced to huddle close, but for now, he wanted to maintain some distance. He didn’t feel right to lie next to a man who was not only dangerous, but half-naked and unpredictable. He was also getting a distinct feeling that Kylo’s fascination with him was only partially to do with his foreignness.  

In terms of animal behaviour, Kylo was an adult male, and presumably a dominant one, judging from his territorial tendencies. The fact that he had taken Hux in, cared for him, and brought him to his home. Kylo seemed as if he might be intent on keeping him, though to what end, Hux wasn’t entirely certain.  

As he thought about it and adjusted to the feeling of Kylo pressed up against him, he became more at ease with his position. As awkward and unsettling as it was, it did feel nice. He felt secure in feeling a strong body next to him, despite knowing it belonged to such a volatile man. He could feel Kylo’s steady breathing behind him, breath and soft grunts tickling his ear as large fingers picked at the buttons on his shirt. Hux lightly brushed his hand away, trying to indicate that he didn’t want Kylo touching his clothes.  

After a few swats the feral men relented and retracted his hands. Hux sighed and settled in, trying to reconcile the pleasant feelings with the uncertainty of Kylo’s behaviours and how he was going to get back to Phasma and his camp. He had never laid next to another living creature before, and for all the concerns Hux had, it was a novel experience, becoming relaxed and sleepy thanks to exhaustion and Kylo methodically playing with his hair and touching his arm.  

His eyes snapped open moments later as Kylo’s hand dipped lower. At first it was at his elbow, then on his waist, now it was rubbing over his hip. Trying to remove Kylo’s hand hadn’t worked so far, so he took it and moved it up towards his waist, “Here’s fine. I’ll tolerate here.”  

Kylo stayed his hand for a moment, seemingly content before his hand slid down again. Hux’s eyes widened as Kylo’s hand cupped the slight curve of his backside. He grabbed the feral man’s hand once more, deliberately holding it over his waist, “No, here!”  

He didn’t let go this time, holding onto Kylo’s hand to keep it from any further exploration. Kylo let out a sigh and easily muscled his hand away from Hux, this time lacing their fingers together over his waist.  Hux flushed slightly.  He hadn’t held hands with anyone in a very long time. Kylo settled in closer, pressing his cheek to Hux’s and letting out a content, sleepy hum.  

He couldn’t help giving Kyo’s fingers a little squeeze before he drifted off to sleep.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's art is by merselfy on tumblr. They've done loads of Disney/Kylux crossovers. You can see the original with the link here: http://merselfy.tumblr.com/post/159880048800/continuing-with-the-disney-aus-some-kylux


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring art by viikingitvalk on tumblr. You can see the original and leave likes here: https://viikingitvalk.tumblr.com/post/160921608269/ok-blame-anorlost-and-generalsux4-for-this-hux
> 
> It's so cool that each chapter has had fanart for us to share. This fandom has so many amazing artists and we feel so fortunate and grateful to everyone who's taken the time to make something beautiful inspired by this au!

Hux had the misfortune of waking up that morning to the feeling of his backside being manhandled.  

 

For a moment, he simply froze. People simply didn’t behave like this, and yet here Kylo was; lazily cupping his slight ass and releasing it to let it bounce back into place. Kylo didn’t seem to be acting like the act was...indecent. He likely thought of it the same was as the buttons, as a novelty to be explored in a tactile way. His body was just something new in the wild man’s environment that needed examining.  

 

Hux wasn’t going to stand for it though. He turned suddenly, pressing against the feral man chest to chest and slapping his hand away. He stood his moral high ground and spoke a firm, unyielding, “No.”  

 

Kylo furrowed his brow and tried to reach around Hux. Hux slapped his hand away again and repeated, “No.”  

 

Kylo cocked his head and repeated after him hesitantly, “N-no?”  

 

Hux sighed. He couldn’t even be sure if Kylo understood or not. The man seemed to have a rudimentary grasp of English, even knowing the word ‘home,’ but other words completely escaped him. Using examples, he tried to explain as best he could. He laced his fingers in Kylo’s, “Yes.”  He lead the man’s hand to his waist, “Yes.” Then up to his shoulder, “Yes.” He let go of Kylo’s hand and patted his own hip, “No.”  

 

Kylo still seemed confused, possibly thinking that Hux was pointing out proper names for things.  With no teaching aids, Hux had no idea how he was going to explain the concept. He was also fairly certain they had few gestures in common that could easily be understood. Kylo reached out and brushed his fingers over Hux’s shoulder, “Yes?”  

 

He didn’t really want to be touched, but it was important that Kylo learned this language. It would also help him relearn the boundaries that respectable people held between each other. He nodded and said amiably, “Yes.”  

 

Kylo arched his brow and trailed his hand up to Hux’s neck, “Yes?”  

 

It seemed like a harmless sort of touch, “Yes.”  

 

He laced his fingers in Hux’s hair, “Yes?”  

 

Grooming seemed to be an important part of Kylo’s socializing. Plus, if Hux was going to take away the pleasure of touching buttons and parts of his body, allowing the wild man to touch his hair seemed a fair compromise. Hux nodded again, “Yes.”  

 

Kylo removed his hand and tried to hook a finger down Hux’s collar, “Yes?”  

 

That was too far. Hux shook his head and pushed Kylo’s hand away, “No.”  

 

Kylo gave him an irate look, replacing his hand and simply stating, “Yes.”  

 

Hux didn’t shake his head. He kept eye contact as he calmly removed Kylo’s hand and steadfastly repeated, “No.”  

 

Despite receiving another negative answer, Kylo didn’t press him. He removed his hand and made some frustrated grunting noises to himself and shot Hux several hurt looks.  Hux crossed his arms over his chest and sat up, refusing to act submissive. If he did that, a territorial creature like Kylo would walk all over him. Kylo made some whiny, pleading noises and Hux continued to glare at him.  

 

Finally, Kylo seemed to give up, letting out a long sigh and climbing over Hux and after one last sour look, down from the loft. Hux let out a sigh of his own and flopped onto his back when Kylo was out of sight. That had been...slightly terrifying. Kylo was bigger than him, and since he was injured, it would be easy for him to take whatever he wanted, including Hux’s clothes. He didn’t though, and Hux focused on that. As territorial as Kylo was, he didn’t seem interested in forcing anything from him. He might intimidate, insist, or plead and sulk, but it seemed that he was willing to respect a firm ‘no.’  

 

Sighing, Hux focused now upon his ankle, wondering if Kylo would perhaps bring him more supplies to redress and clean the wound. He so far seemed to have a good understanding of rudimentary healing techniques and hopefully he wouldn’t grow bored with caring for Hux before his ankle was fully healed, or at least, healed enough to comfortably walk on.

 

Now Hux would just have to focus on keeping Kylo in a favorable mood towards him. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to compromise on other personal boundaries he didn’t feel quite like crossing; although...there was something unsettlingly appealing about the idea of having to let go, of letting Kylo manhandle him like he had been doing…

 

No. Hux gave himself a little shake, willing away the memory of those huge hands _touching him_ like they had been. It was indecent. Improper. Against all Hux had been taught. He was aware of his own...predilections for men but, as he told himself frequently, he needn’t ever indulge them and risk sullying his reputation. If Catholic priests could remain celibate their entire lives, why not he? Sexual intercourse surely wasn’t a requirement for leading a fulfilling life and there were many other forms of companionship that didn’t include...intimate or romantic relations.

 

An urgent gurgling noise from Hux’s stomach startled him out of his musings. Of course. Food. How could he be so stupid? There was only so long a human could last without proper nourishment or clean water and it had been since around half past noon yesterday that Hux had had a bite to eat. As if his stomach had been trying to alert Hux to the famished state of his body, he now felt the acute faintness that accompanies hunger sluggishly weighing down his limbs. The adrenaline rush of yesterday’s trials was definitely wearing off and Hux was stuck dozens of meters off of the ground in a tree. Hopefully he could communicate to Kylo the necessity that he needed to eat and it was with even more vigour that Hux prayed Kylo would bring him back something edible.

 

Visions of raw animal carcasses and poisonous fungi were swimming through Hux’s mind when Kylo announced his return by grunting loudly as he clambered up the staircase with an awkward tripedal gait, his right arm otherwise occupied cradling what looked like various brightly colored fruits.

 

“These are for me?” Hux asked, after Kylo proudly deposited them into Hux’s lap. He gestured at himself and then at the fruit to clarify and was rewarded with Kylo gleefully smacking the floor and nodding vigorously at him.

 

He picked up a small, unfamiliar specimen and inspected its dark reddish skin, trying to think of the best way to inquire ‘Is this safe to eat?’ which was rendered unnecessary as he saw Kylo digging into a similar fruit, tearing into its juicy yellowed insides and spitting the pit uncouthly onto the floor.

 

Hux tested it, delicately breaking the flesh with his teeth and lightly sucking the juice out onto his tongue. It had, to be honest, a rather bitter, unpleasant taste, but not wanting to be an ungracious guest, Hux finished it and discretely spit out the pit into his palm.

 

Kylo’s hand was abruptly in his face, brandishing what looked like a fig in an almost threatening manner at Hux. He grunted softly and nudged the fruit against Hux’s nose. “Thank you,” Hux took the fig from Kylo and went about eating it, self conscious about the way Kylo studied his mouth and collared throat as he chewed and swallowed the much more enjoyably tasting fruit.

 

Kylo seemed not to care about the mess he was making, mashing a papaya into his mouth and letting the juices smear all over his hands and face as he gobbled it down. They continued eating in this fashion; Hux would finish a fruit only to have Kylo grunting and nudging a new one against his mouth, he would then stare in awe at Hux over his own meal as Hux performed the simple function of feeding himself as if Hux was some outlandish and immersing form of breakfast entertainment.

 

Dabbing at his mouth with the back of his hand, Hux politely tried to push the second mango Kylo had offered him away. He didn’t want to say no, lest it discourage Kylo from bringing him more food in the future. He put a hand on his own stomach and held the other out in refusal, pushing the mango back towards Kylo, “I don’t need anymore. I’m full.”  

 

Kylo either didn’t understand or was incredibly keen on giving Hux as much food as possible. Looking down, it seemed that unless Kylo had a monstrous appetite, he had brought much, much more fruit than was necessary. Perhaps he was planning on keeping it for another meal later in the day. Kylo made some anxious, grunting noises and dodged Hux’s hand, pressing the fruit against his mouth one more time.  

 

Hux turned his face and shook his head, “I’m full. I can’t eat anymore.”  

 

Failing to feed him for a second time seemed to make Kylo understand that he wasn’t going to eat anymore. He frowned, watching Hux pensively as he took a large bite out of the fruit. Hux for his part wasn’t sure if he could go on like this. He had questions, concerns, and he couldn’t voice them if they were constantly communicating in gestures and groans. He needed to find Phasma, he needed to get to his camp, he wanted to ask Kylo how he’d managed to survive in the jungle by himself for so long. Unfortunately, all that would take a very long time to teach. Kylo was going to need a lot more vocabulary if they were going to communicate effectively.  

 

There was so much he needed to learn, Hux wondered where on earth he was supposed to start. Children usually started with basic words to convey simple feelings and their immediate surroundings. Most of the books on the bookshelf seemed to be for someone who was highly educated, but hopefully there might be a few books for children, assuming Kylo would allow him to touch anything.  

 

“Down,” said Hux, pointing towards the lower level of the house, “Would you take me down?”  

 

Kylo finished his fruit and looked towards where Hux was pointing, “D-aaown?”  

 

“Yes, down, please,” said Hux. He reached out towards Kylo, trying to convey that he was willing to let Kylo pick him up if he felt that was best.  

 

“Down.  Hux.  Down…” said Kylo trailing off pensively as he looked at the food, as if inspecting them for flaws of some sort. Kylo must have expected him to have quite the appetite if he had thought Hux was going to eat all the fruit in one go.

 

He kept repeating the words, occasionally pausing, making grunts between intelligible words.  Arching his brow, Hux wondered if he was trying to make sentences. The wild man would start saying, ‘down’ make a few noises, ‘Hux’ then more noises. It might be possible be might be trying to say something like, ‘Down is where Hux wants to go.’ A long time ago he likely had many, many more words he could speak and understand. He may well have been trying to recollect and recover them.  

 

“Hux...down…” said Kylo finally, moving an arm around Hux’s shoulders and under his legs.  

 

Hux wondered how to show appreciation. Obviously when Kylo did something good, he wanted to reinforce that behaviour. He didn’t have any food to give as a reward, and he doubted Kylo would get much use out of the things in his pockets. A brief image flashed in his mind of fairy tale princesses giving their rescuer a kiss on the cheek and quickly dismissed it. Kylo might have childhood memories of kisses from his mother, but he didn’t think the wild man would understand the meaning or intent of a kiss if Hux gave him one.  

 

While being carried down from the loft, Hux closed his eyes again. It was worse than going up. At least if Kylo fell while going up, Hux was more likely to fall backwards onto him. If they fell going down, there would be the force of the fall to worry about, as well as the possibility of Kylo landing on him. Hux refused to open his eyes until he was down, and when he did, he looked at the bookshelf.  

 

The trunk was off limits. Hux wasn’t about to ask Kylo for his dearest treasures, or try to touch them. He pointed at the bookshelf and asked, “Yes?”  

 

Kylo looked down at him and seemed...uncomfortable. He didn’t speak, looking between Hux and the shelf anxiously. Just as Hux was certain he was about to get a no, with much difficulty Kylo replied, “Y-yes…”  

 

To Hux’s surprise, he was carried to the shelf, where Kylo gently set him down. He immediately crouched, watching Hux and looking up at the shelf in fear. No doubt he associated his mother and father with the books, so Hux knew he would have to take special care not to damage anything. He traced his finger along the shelf, picking up dust as he went as he examined the spines. He was searching for a children’s book, hopefully one with pictures.  

 

At the end of the lowest shelf, Hux found what he was looking for. There was a small collection of children’s exercise books. One, which looked very nearly destroyed, was a copy book meant for writing, but the others seemed intact. Gently, he wriggled one out, more worried about damaging the book than anything else. Once he had it in hand, he began the painful process of crouching, taking pressure off his ankle as soon as he could. Kylo leaned over him, looking at the book skeptically.  

 

Hux opened it and found pictures, to his relief. He pointed at the text and said, “Jane.”  

 

Kylo arched his brow and looked at the picture. Hux tried to explain, underlining the word with his finger than pointing at the picture, “Jane. This girl here, is Jane.”  

 

“Jane,” repeated Kylo.  

 

Hux nodded and pointed at the next page, “See Jane run. This is running, this picture.”  

 

“Jane,” said Kylo jabbing his picture at the running girl, “Jane run...Kylo see Jane run.”  

Hux’s brow shot up at the wild man’s level of comprehension, “Yes...yes that’s exactly right.  Kylo sees Jane run.”  

 

“Kylo sees Hux run,” said the wild man.  

 

“Well, I won’t be running for a long time yet…” mumbled Hux, turning the page, “Cat.”  

 

“Cat…” said Kylo, leaning down, as if wondering what new revelation the book would bring.  

 

“See cat sleep,” said Hux, pointing at the picture.  

 

“Kylo see Hux sleep,” said the wild man.

 

Hux shifted somewhat uncomfortably, “Yes...yes you did...Now, this one here. Come Jane. Come see cat sleep.”  

 

Kylo leaned in and traced his finger along the words before looking at Hux. He had a strange look of determination on his face, “Come Hux. Come see...see…”  

 

Kylo trailed off in frustration as he ran out of vocabulary. He let out a grunt and grabbed Hux’s hand, pulling it against his head, “Come Hux. Come see Kylo…”  

 

He was going to need more verbs than come, sleep, run and see. Hux ran his hand over Kylo’s hair, knowing his fingers would catch on multiple knots if he tried to run his hand through it. Kylo pressed his head against Hux’s hand and it was easy to figure out what he wanted. Hux tried to break it down into the easiest language he could, “Brush hair. Hux brush hair?”  

 

“Brsh...hr...B...Hux brush hair,” said Kylo, pulling Hux’s other hand towards his head.  

 

Hux narrowed his eyes. It was time for Kylo to learn a very important piece of vocabulary, “Please.  Hux brush hair, _please_.”  

 

The addition only seemed to confuse Kylo, and upset him when it appeared that Hux was refusing. The explorer sighed. He supposed necessities came first, and then they could work on finer points like manners. Kylo had ‘groomed’ him yesterday, so it was natural that the wild man wanted a little reciprocation. Hux, for his part, felt he had to prove he wasn’t completely useless so Kylo would keep taking care of him. It was for the best that they bonded a little, though not too much. When all was said and done, Hux did want to return to his camp, and eventually to England.  

 

He gestured for Kylo to sit in front of him, which Kylo gladly did, sitting between his legs and holding still for his grooming. At first, Hux had no idea where to start. His hair was completely matted, like the whole thing had become a giant dreadlock. It might have been easier just to chop it all off and have Kylo regrow it. Unfortunately though, there were no scissors, not even a knife.  Hux started by sectioning the hair as well as he could and working at it from the bottom to the top, undoing one little knot at a time and hoping that eventually it might amount to something.  

 

Once again, he tried not to focus too much on Kylo’s nakedness. It meant nothing. Kylo had no sense of shame about it, and clearly saw nothing erotic in his lack of clothing. Anything homoerotic about the situation was simply projected by Hux’s sensibilities onto the situation. That seemed to make Hux all the more determined to ignore Kylo’s nudity. It wasn’t sexual, and certainly not arousing. He wasn’t a deviant. He wasn’t about to go and start having thoughts about a man who thought he was a beast.  It...it would be improper...

 

After a few minutes, Kylo leaned back, pressing his sticky body against Hux’s elbows. He needed a bath, desperately. In addition to not looking, Hux tried very hard not to smell Kylo. He was musky and smelled like a zoo, a thought that caused Hux more discomfort than bring a sense of nostalgia. How long had it been since Kylo had been washed?  

 

To Hux’s amazement, Kylo was quite patient during his detangling session. Aside from the occasional grunt, he barely made a noise and hardly moved at all. Hux knew animals could spend hours at a time grooming each other. He had watched them for so long in zoos and other enclosures; he felt he knew at least a little about what he had been getting into. Now he was reteaching a marooned man-beast how to speak English all while being hopelessly lost and injured.  

 

When Kylo finally had enough he crawled away. Hux wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it felt quite long. Kylo ran his hands over his hair and grunted in confusion as he fingered through the section Hux had managed to untangle. He pulled at the individual strands and looked at Hux incredulously.  

 

“I could have probably done better with a decent comb,” said Hux, shrugging off what Kylo seemed to think was an incredible accomplishment.  

 

A curious look crossed the feral man’s face and he began making...Hux could only describe them as noises. He kept eye contact, swaying about and making bizarre animal sounds. Hux picked up the book that he had discarded and rose to replace it on the shelf, “That’s very nice…”

 

There was something terribly unnerving about it. Kylo couldn’t explain what he was doing, but he seemed determined to make Hux watch...whatever it was. Hux limped away and Kylo followed, trying to maintain eye contact and making his strange noises. After a moment’s pause he would make slightly different sounds and move in a slightly different way. Hux looked about for somewhere to sit, he couldn’t stand for long, but he didn’t want to be eye level with Kylo while he was doing...whatever this was.  

 

“Stop that,” said Hux firmly, “You aren’t impressing…”  

 

Impress him? Kylo was putting on a show, and Hux was the only one to witness it, but to what end. Hux wasn’t a threat, and Kylo had brought him to his territory, so it couldn’t have been about dominance. Was he trying to establish some sort of hierarchy? Clearly he was in charge, with his strength he could make Hux do whatever he wanted if he ever took a fancy to being a brute.  So...so why try to impress him at all? Was it to boost his ego? Something he did for fun, or…

 

Kylo changed his pitch and Hux recognized the sound. He’d heard it from monkeys in the zoo when they had been…  

 

Hux threw his hand up in front of him, “Now...look here...I’m...I’m a man…”  

 

He opened the book, the pages sticking as he looked for something to illustrate his point.  His hands shook as he pointed at the picture, “See, Jane is a girl, and Dick is a boy. We’re both like Dick so...I’m not a girl so…”  

 

Kylo stopped making noises and cocked his head as Hux wondered what an idiot he had been.  Kylo had brought him food, made him a nest, groomed him and protected him. He hadn’t been adopted because the ape-man had a sense of human charity, Kylo had brought him here for the purpose of mating with him. Having spent so long a time away from humans, he must have forgotten what women looked like. Hux could admit he had an effeminate air, enough that at Eton it had been an easy decision to cast him as a girl in school plays, but this..this was awful.  

 

He had to keep Kylo happy. If Kylo lost all interest in him, Hux was certain he would be abandoned. However he couldn’t...he couldn’t let this feral man sodomize him. Even if Kylo was dumb enough to ignore his obvious male anatomy, Kylo was bound to notice that Hux couldn’t become pregnant and, once again, lose interest. He had to find something he could bargain with, something that a feral creature would want just as badly as procreation.  

 

Hux couldn’t think of anything. He couldn’t hunt, he couldn’t provide or protect in his condition. He could educate, but did Kylo want that? Was it enough of a bargaining chip that Kylo might willingly leave him be?  

 

“I’m a man like you, I can’t,” Hux tried to explain.  

 

Kylo either didn’t understand or didn’t care, and Hux was beginning to become hyperaware of every little move Kylo made. He was analyzing every little movement in it’s new and terrifying context.  

 

Hux scooted himself backwards until he was pressed against the bookcase to put some space between them, but it did little to stop Kylo from crawling over to him, his hands bracketing Hux’s hips as he nuzzled his -- now partially detangled but still rank smelling -- head under Hux’s jaw, like some breed of gigantic hulking feline.

 

This couldn’t be happening, he wasn’t ready for...for whatever this was. Hux’s heart seemed to be thudding out of his chest, he could feel his breathing speed up as he began to hyperventilate.

 

“N-No.” Hux breathed, his voice coming out much smaller than he intended it to be.

 

And Kylo…stopped. Pulling back from Hux, the wild man quirked his head at Hux, _like a dog_ , part of his brain noted; brow puckered as if trying to process what Hux had said.

 

“NnnooOO?” Kylo drew out the word into an interrogative, pulling back a bit further from Hux and crouching between his knees, his eyes belaying hurt confusion.

 

Galvanized by this bit of cooperation, Hux reiterated much more firmly, “No.”

 

“I-I don’t want to...to mate. With you. I can’t….do that.” he inhaled shakily. “No...mating.” Hux said, hoping he wouldn’t have to demonstrate what he meant.

 

Kylo thankfully seemed to understand, stumbling further away from Hux and peering at him with a mixture of bewilderment and woundedness. He mumbled nonsense sounds interjected with words like “Hux” and “No” and when Hux slowly moved forward so he was no longer pressed against the bookcase, the wild man shuffled backwards towards the opposite wall of the treehouse.

 

Hux didn’t want to alienate the man, his savior and one hope of survival in this jungle, and strangely felt guilty and a bit confused himself about the whole situation himself. He somewhat had been adjusting to Kylo’s more tame petting, even enjoying it. Things like Kylo running his hands through his hair and falling asleep with Kylo pressed against his back were rather...nice. Now Kylo seemed to be under the impression Hux didn’t want him to touch the ginger at all, under any circumstance.

 

Looking around frantically to remedy the situation, Hux grabbed the primer off of the floor and extended it like a peace offering in Kylo’s direction. “Look, I didn’t mean that, I...do want you around, I just...can’t do _that_...with you. I can however, teach you to speak and read like a proper human being and maybe even brush your hair. Would you like that? Me teaching you to speak and read?”

 

Kylo just stared at the primer, eyes still wide and wounded looking.

 

Sighing, Hux tried again, “Hux teach --” he waved the book, “ -- Kylo. Hux teach Kylo.”

 

A minute that felt like hours ticked by, as Kylo continued to just stare at the book Hux was waving in the most inviting manner he could, feeling more pathetic by the second.

 

Finally, Kylo broke the silence, “Hux...teach Kylo,” he grunted to himself under his breath. Relief flooding his body, Hux audibly exhaled the breath he didn’t know he had been holding.

 

“Yes, Hux teach Kylo.” he nodded, slumping back onto his forearms. He patted the floor, indicating for Kylo to come sit by him.

 

“Hux teach Kylo. Hux brush Kylo.” Kylo chanted, hesitantly shifting closer to Hux, his mouth widening into a dopey grin.

 

“Well, we’ll see about the brushing.” Hux murmured, feeling his cheeks flush at the unadulterated joy radiating from Kylo in his direction. Considering how grimy and matted Kylo’s hair was, trying to put it to rights wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience that he wished to repeat often. But there was something (if the fluttering in Hux’s chest that was getting harder to ignore was anything to go by) rewarding about seeing Kylo look at him with such open affection.

 

“Alright,” Hux began as Kylo settled next to him, hanging over his shoulder to gape at the primer. “I suppose that the first place to start is with the alphabet, though it would also do for you to learn some more simple vocabulary so we can communicate decently.”

 

Hux flipped to the page with a stylized alphabet, each letter imaginatively designed in a way to recall a common item or creature who’s spelling began with the given letter. “A is for Apple. See? Aaah -- Pull.”

 

“AAAAAH pole,” Kylo nodded, “AAAH pole eat? Kylo eat aaaah pole?”

 

“Yes, you can eat an apple. Though I suppose you don’t have apples here. Now, B is for Bear and C is for Cat.”

 

“Bee is BAAARE? Cee is cat?’

 

“Precisely. And D is for Dog and E is for Elephant.” Mentioning cats had Hux suddenly awash with homesickness. He hoped that even if he didn’t return, Millie would be alright. Perhaps his housekeeper would take her in and give her a good home. What wouldn’t he give to be in his personal study in London, perusing his notes on the evolution of _Hominoidea_ on the African continent while sipping tea, Millicent curled up on his lap. Not that fantasizing about it would do Hux any good in his current situation.

 

“Dee,” Kylo muttered, staring intently at the page .

 

“Yes. And F is for Frog and G is for Goose and H is for Hat.”

“Hhh..aat...Hhhaaa...Huh...Hux?” Kylo whooped excitedly, “H is Hux!” he proclaimed, grinning broadly and thumping his chest at the connection he had made.

 

“Yes.” Hux said, unable to stop himself from smiling back, “H is Hux.”

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The amazing Jeusus drew a really cute Explorer!Hux that you can go check out down below over here: http://jeusus.tumblr.com/post/162180583528/i-had-stopped-reccing-fics-with-fanart-because-it
> 
> Also, warning: Here thar be smut.

It took less than twenty four hours for the awful smell to finally get to Hux. He thought that perhaps with time he would either adjust or come to ignore the scent emanating from Kylo’s unwashed hair and body. He didn’t. Instead he only became less and less tolerant of it. In a zoo it was one thing; he only had to put up with the smell of musk and waste for a few hours, and then he could leave. Here on the other hand, he was in incredibly close quarters with Kylo, who despite all attempts to dissuade him, was still determined to press up against Hux every now and then, especially the space just under his chin where Hux’s nose was left exposed to Kylo’s odor.  

 

It got worse when Hux could sense he was beginning to smell like Kylo. He’d been wearing the same clothes for two days straight, the heat was making him sweat much more than he did in London and he hadn’t had an opportunity to wash apart from Kylo bringing him a little water to drink and wash his wound.  

Despite his smell, Kylo had taken better care of him than Hux imagined he would have. He brought plenty of dressing for his wound, made sure he could keep the area clean, ensured he had a comfortable, safe place to rest, and made sure he received plenty of nourishment. Hux occasionally had to remind himself that Kylo was partly doing this as a...courtship ritual, but surely when his education furthered, the wild man would come to see how ridiculous he was being. Because it was ridiculous...Hux couldn’t do that sort of thing with some feral man he barely knew. It wasn’t right, wasn’t proper.  

 

He was confident Kylo would learn soon. It didn’t take long for Hux to conclude Kylo wasn’t learning how to read, he was re-learning. Words seemed to come back to him on occasion, simple ones like eat and drink. He now had a small, if impractical vocabulary of three letter words to supplement conversation. More complicated concepts like ‘camp’ and ‘group’ seemed to escape him, but he was doing remarkably well for someone who likely hadn’t picked up a book in decades, and hadn’t spoken to a human in longer.  

 

Trying to ignore the smell, Hux tried to continue with the phonics lesson he’d attempted to give after breakfast. Kylo found vowel noises incredibly amusing, and when Hux sounded out ‘a’s and ‘o’s, Kylo burst out laughing as if he had told some sort of joke. That was when something strange happened. Kylo made a series of vowel sounds and began gesturing for Hux to repeat after _him_.  

 

“Oooh-ooh-ii-aah!’ said Kylo slowly, gesturing beckoning for Hux to do the same.  

 

“N-no thank you…” said Hux quietly, feeling that he would sound perfectly ridiculous.  

 

“Oooh-ooh-ii-aah!” repeated Kylo, beckoning more insistently.  

 

Hux sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before quietly repeating, “Oooh-ooh-ii-aah.”  

 

“Ah!” Kylo yelped in delight, slapping his hand across his meaty chest in triumph.  

 

“Yes, now can we get back to consonants?” asked Hux, holding up the book.  He tapped it asking, “Yes?”  

 

“Oooh…” Kylo sighed, seeming a little annoyed with the change in subject, but settled in close nonetheless.  

 

“Yes, now, this is ‘K’ it makes a ‘kuh’ sound,” explained Hux, “And ‘Y’ can be ‘ih’ or ‘aye.’  ‘L’ is ‘lah’.  And O is-”

 

“Oo and oh,” finished Kylo.  

 

“Yes, now, here’s something I wanted to show you,” said Hux, taking Kylo’s grimey hand. He pulled his sketchbook and pencil from his pocket and worked Kylo’s fingers around it to  grip the pencil. Guiding his hand carefully, Kylo let out a series of impressed grunts as Hux spoke each letter, “K, Y, L...and O. That’s your name. You can spell it now.”  

 

“Kylo,” the wild man repeated. He looked over the pencil from every angle and giving it a sniff. He clumsily spelled out his name without Hux’s guidance, “K...Y...L...O!  Kylo!”  

 

“Yes, Kylo,” said Hux, unable to help smiling a little.  

 

“Hux!” he said, slapping the sketchbook with his hand eagerly, “Hux!”  

 

“Hux...you want to spell Hux?” asked the explorer. He took Kylo’s hand, “H...U...X.  That’s Hux.”  

 

“Hux!” exclaimed Kylo happily as he spelled it out again, “Kylo write Hux!”  

 

“Yes, you did,” said Hux, feeling the sort of pride he supposed a teacher must feel when a student managed to figure out a problem.  

 

“Kylo brush Hux,” said the wild man, moving in closer to touch his hair.  He didn’t seem to understand that brush was a specific verb and instead seemed to think it meant touching someone’s hair in general.  

 

As Kylo leaned in, Hux got another nose full of Kylo’s strong scent and nearly gagged on it.  He covered his nose as Kylo came in closer, running his hands through Hux’s hair and nuzzling his cheek.  

 

“Wait, wait!” said Hux, holding up his hands. Kylo backed away, confused, as Hux mimed scrubbing over his body, “Wash...you need to wash.”  

 

“Wash…” Kylo said in confusion. His face brightened up as he concluded, “Hux wash Kylo!”  

 

“No, no! That’s...no, not what I meant,” said Hux, becoming flustered at the idea of giving this fully grown and very nearly naked man a bath. He gestured again, “Hux wash Hux, Kylo wash Kylo.”  

 

Kylo actually had the audacity to roll his eyes at that. He scurried over to a corner and checked his little reservoir of rainwater. He looked at it and pointed, “Nnno.”  

 

He let out a few grunts as he tried to explain what Hux had gathered. There wasn’t enough to wash. Kylo beckoned, “Hux come. Kylo...Hux wash.”  

 

He trailed off as he seemed to be indicating that he wanted to bring Hux somewhere else to wash up.

 

Hux gesticulated to help Kylo articulate what he was trying to say, “You,” he pointed at the feral man, “Want to bring me,” he pointed at himself, “To wash up somewhere? A river or stream or something?”

 

Kylo thumped the floor, nodding urgently. “Kylo bring, Hux wash.”

 

“Alright, alright, you’ll bring me and we’ll wash. Separately.”

 

Hux hoped that last part would be clear, he hadn’t had to undress in the vicinity of other men since he was a very young man still at boarding school. Even then he'd always tried to sneak into the changing rooms early or later than others would arrive. Other boys clearly had no shame as they stripped out of their shirtsleeves but Hux had never liked being looked at or looking at other men. He knew his physique was...less than desirable for the masculine figure and he always felt like an intruder when he happened to catch a glimpse of other boys dressing down. He either looked too long or didn’t look at all, whatever he did he felt suspicious and somehow unclean. No, it was best that he'd isolated himself and gave other men a polite distance in those sort of situations.

 

“Well, we’d best be off, I don’t know how much longer I can stand feeling so disgusting.” Hux put a hand on the bookshelf, using his upper body strength to try to maneuver himself up off the ground into a standing position.

 

Kylo watched him with something akin to concern in his eyes as Hux straightened up and attempted to limp forward, moving awkwardly as he balanced his weight onto his uninjured ankle, only putting a slight pressure on the ball of his injured foot. .

 

When Hux stumbled, Kylo shot up in an instant, grabbing Hux's forearm to steady him.

 

“Hux hurt.” he said firmly, letting Hux lean against his muscular arm.

 

As they hobbled to the treehouse’s exit, Kylo’s inexperience with walking upright on two legs hampering his ability to properly walk, Hux had an insane thought about how they could be likened to one of the young couples who strolled through Kensington Gardens arm in arm during pleasant days. There was much wrong with this vision of course, as they were both male, Kylo wasn’t wearing any proper clothes to speak of, and Hux was dressed in trousers lacking both parasol and bustled skirts favored by the young ladies. No, that arrangement was definitely not in Hux’s future.

 

Kylo pushed aside the canvas that hung like a makeshift door at the treehouse’s opening, and they carefully stepped onto the tiny platform jutting out several stories above the forest floor.

 

Looking down made Hux’s stomach lurch and cling with both arms to Kylo’s broad torso, as he was reminded of what was next. Of course they’d be swinging down to the their destination. Logically he could see how this was an efficient way to travel -- as opposed to walking for miles through dense flora and fauna, however he didn’t exactly fancy repeating his previous experience.

 

“Is there,” he swallowed, eyelashes fluttering as he looked _anywhere_ but down, “another possible way, any way, that we could --”

 

He made a strangled noise as Kylo snaked a hand around his waist and grabbed his buttocks securely with one giant hand, pulling Hux flush against him.

 

“REALLY, do you have no mannerssSAHHHHHGG!!!,” Hux screamed as suddenly the ground was removed from beneath his feet and they plummeted downwards.

 

Kylo whooped gleefully, swinging up and down from vine to vine, while Hux buried his face in the crook of Kylo’s neck and dug his nails in, praying they didn’t have far to go.

 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Thankfully, their journey wasn’t as long as Hux had been prepared for, though every second had been spent agonizingly, as he imagined all the possible things that could go wrong. They might run into a tree and smash their skulls, or a vine might be too weak to support them and they’d fall to their deaths, or maybe Kylo would overestimate where they needed to land and they tumble into a crocodile infested river. Hux was so grateful to be alive that he almost got on his knees and kissed the earth when they finally landed safely.

 

Breathing in the heavy jungle humidity, Hux’s eyes widened as he took in their surroundings.

 

“Kylo, it’s -- it’s beautiful.”

 

They had arrived at a gorgeous miniature waterfall, which cascaded down shrubs and rocks into an almost clear pool of water, and trickled off into a steady stream that undoubtedly ran all the way to the river. It was in a sort of clearing, with trees all around providing shade and larger rocks collected around the pool.

 

Kylo grunted happily, watching as Hux drank in the scenery. “Beau-teee-fuuuull,” he sang.

 

“Yes, it means,” Hux struggled to think of a way to describe a concept so unique, “Things...which are pleasant to look at, I suppose.” he finished lamely.

 

“Hux beauuu-teeee-fuuuul.” Kylo smiled, turning away from Hux and stumbling towards the falls.

 

Hux felt his cheeks pink up, though he wasn’t sure why. He was positive whatever Kylo meant by “Hux beautiful”, it wasn’t in any traditional sense of the meaning.

 

“Have you come here before?” Hux called behind him, carefully limping forward to inspect whether the pool was inhabited by any sort of creature he might need to worry about. He wondered if perhaps Kylo did come here to bathe, just not as regularly as Hux himself would. Hux flushed even redder as he imagined what Kylo might look like, with rivulets of water dripping off of his huge pectorals and hardened abdomen, the v shaped dip of muscle between his hipbones, with the water just deep enough to conceal his --

 

No. Now Hux was getting into dangerous territory, if he continued to allow himself to have such...thoughts.

 

The pool seemed safe, as far as Hux could tell, though he guess he could only be for sure if he survived bathing without losing a limb to a crocodile or some giant breed of man-eating fish. He didn’t really think Kylo would bring him somewhere that would endanger his life, but Kylo also seemed to think swinging precariously from jungle vines was a perfectly acceptable mode of transportation.

 

“Kylo--,” he looked back over to where Kylo had wandered off to and blanched at what he saw.

 

Kylo’s...loincloth was lying on a rock and the man himself was completely nude and facing Hux. Suddenly, Hux realized exactly how much that small piece of cloth covered. Was...was that a normal sized....or was Hux just abnormally small? He’d never really….compared….

 

“Hux!” Kylo cried, splashing as he waved frantically and moved like he was coming over to greet the ginger.

 

Hux came back to his senses and slapped a hand over his eyes, putting his other hand up as a warning and tripping over himself to stumble away from the wild man. The very...naked wild man.

 

“Don’t--Don’t come any closer! Do you hear me? Stay, Kylo, just-- , stay where you are!” Hux warned.

 

The sound of splashing ceased. Good. That was...good.

 

The image of Kylo’s manhood continued to burn in Hux’s brain and his mouth felt uncomfortably dry.

 

“Now I’m going to turn around and you’re not going to follow me. Is that clear?  Stay right there. If I’m in trouble, I’ll yell. Understand? Kylo stay.” Hux waited but didn’t hear anything else other than the sound of the waterfall, the birds and insects in the trees, and the movement of the stream.

 

“Alright, I’m turning around now and you aren’t going to follow me.” Hux carefully pivoted and removed the hand from his eyes, taking a deep shuddering breath as he started his trek to find somewhere private to wash.

 

It was slow going, Hux wasn’t used to going barefoot and the rocks and bark and leaves hurt his feet as he wobbled uncertainly along the stream. He still felt extremely overheated from his last encounter and was trying to concentrate on the dull ache in his ankle and the twinges of pain on the soles of his feet to distract himself from the throb of arousal that was threatening to overtake him.

 

Kylo certainly saw nothing inherently erotic in his own nudity, it was Hux’s own proclivities that were to blame for the heat pooling in his lower half.  However....

 

Kylo did seem to understand the concept of intercourse, as he wanted to...to mate with Hux. Hux hated himself for feeling a spark of interest when he considered the implications of that.

 

A thorough wash in this cold stream would put Hux to rights, clear his head of any of the nonsense currently invading it.

 

There was a rather large rock around the next  bend in the stream, large enough that it would cover Hux from the navel down if Kylo were to try and approach him from the angle of the falls. Now to undress.

 

He’d lost his gloves and his hat early on, as well as his boots and his stockings. His undergarments were no doubt soaked with sweat, but since his drawers were linen and his undershirt made of cotton, they would probably dry quickly if he rinsed them now and laid them out to dry while he washed the rest of his body. His shirt, vest, jacket, and breeches were all made of much thicker fabric and would probably be ruined if he tried to wash them.

 

Peering suspiciously around him, as if expecting eyes to be peering at him from within the trees, Hux exhaled and began to unbutton and shuck off his jacket. He carefully unbuttoned, unclasped, and unwrapped each article of clothing, from his breeches to his necktie, and folded them neatly into a pile on the rock, until he was left in just his white linen drawers.

 

As he slid those last off of him he looked up to a tiny grey and blue bird blinking with beady curiosity at him from a nearby branch.

 

“Do you mind?” Hux muttered, feeling uncomfortable even with this small feathered audience.

 

He kneeled down and thoroughly dunked his undergarments, wringing them out & leaving them to dry on the branch where the little bird perched, seeming to stare judgmentally at his thin, pale body.

 

The judgement was well warranted, he supposed. Hux recalled growing up being told that someday his lanky frame would flesh itself up. Growing boys were often lanky, growing tall first and gaining more muscle and fat once they reached their twenties and thirties. Hux had believed that, hoping that once his teenage years were behind him his hair colour might shift to a handsome auburn, his freckles would fade away and he might finally get some meat on his fragile bird-like bones.  

 

He never did. Now here he was, still scrawny, hair still a bright, unattractive red, and though the dusting of freckles across his nose had faded, the ones along his shoulders had remained. Kylo had, whether he knew what he was saying or not, had called him beautiful. It had to be a mistake. He wasn’t attractive by any definition of the term. Kylo, if he cleaned up, untangled his hair and dressed in decent clothes, would have been the ideal man.  

 

Slipping into the water, he managed to hide himself from the nearby fauna and prayed he wouldn’t get bitten by a leach. Kylo hadn’t had any trouble, and Hux couldn’t hear him screeching in pain, so he assumed everything was alright. It was cold, but the jungle heat made the temperature difference feel refreshing, rather than painful, like stepping into a warm bath during winter.  

 

Without any soap, the most he could do was try to scrub the grime off with his hand and cold water. It was better than nothing, but Hux knew this wouldn’t last him for as long as he was used to. It made him wonder about the camp. Had Phasma gone looking for him? How many days would it take before they gave up looking and assumed he was dead. And when that happened, how long would the company want to stay in the African wilds with their zoologist dead? They might just cut their losses and pack up, leaving Hux behind…  

 

He tried not to become emotional at the idea of being trapped here. Nothing was ever solved by crying: He just had to keep his chin up. By running into Kylo he had already defied his odds for survival. He was alive, so long as he remained close to Kylo he would remain so.  

 

Speaking of Kylo, the cold water did away with the slight problem that the wild man had left him with. He couldn’t help sighing. He...couldn’t have those thoughts. He wasn’t supposed to. He and the other boys had often been lectured on proper conduct and this certainly wasn’t proper. Besides, he would be taking advantage of Kylo. Without the benefit of growing up in polite society he was ignorant to the ways of the world, an innocent. If Hux indulged in such...proclivities...it would be unfair to Kylo. The man was already confused enough thinking that Hux was an eligible female who he could mate with.

 

It didn’t take long for his clothes to be dry and for Hux to consider himself satisfactorily clean. It would have been easier with a few of the creature comforts from camp, and as he thought of it, he wondered what Kylo might think of soap. If he was easily impressed by things like writing, Hux couldn’t help thinking that he would be thrilled by soap and perfumes. He couldn’t help imagining how thrilled Kylo would be when Hux showed him so many things that the wild man had never seen before.  

 

For some reason, the idea of making Kylo flash that large, stupid grin of his was incredibly satisfying.  

 

Hux climbed out of the pool, taking care not to put too much weight on his bad leg. Looking about, he spent a few, terrifying moments, standing naked while the sun and heat dried his body enough for him to put his clothes back on. Every snapping twig could be a stranger sneaking up on him in his vulnerable and exposed state. As soon as he could, he pulled his drawers back on, before taking a little bit more time with his other clothes. Once he was covered again, he felt a little better about his situation. A little more in his element, so to speak.  

 

He put nearly everything back on, except his cravat. It was surprisingly pleasant to be without it, especially in the heat. The jacket he would keep for now, Hux was certain he would feel half dressed without it, but he was quickly discovering that he needed to cool off. Kylo also wasn’t likely to notice if he wasn’t dressing his best, so he felt like he could part with this one, small thing, without completely losing himself.  

 

“Kylo, I’m going to come back now,” Hux called, giving the wild man ample warning to cover himself again. He certainly hoped Kylo would take the opportunity to do so. He wasn’t sure how well he would take it if Kylo came bounding through the brush completely naked again.  

 

“Kylo…” Hux called again more softly, trying to listen for sounds of Kylo’s approach. He couldn’t hear splashing or foliage rustling, and for a moment Hux was worried that something had killed him.  

 

“Hux?”  

 

The voice came from behind him, causing Hux to simultaneously turn, yelp and fall onto his backside. Kylo was hanging upside-down from some vines, inches from where the back of his head had been, and much to Hux’s embarrassment, still naked. Turning as he let go, Kylo landed on his feet in a crouch and looked Hux over, approaching and making that...that singing noise.  

 

“Kylo!  Kylo I said no mating!” Hux exclaimed, holding his hands up in refusal. Kylo stopped his swaying and his noises and looked at Hux quizzically.  

 

Hux sighed. Perhaps he was going about this all wrong. Kylo had raised himself in the wild in the years after his parents passed. He had probably learned about the world by watching animals, and in that view, Kylo had done everything ‘right.’ He had selected his mate, and shown that he was an excellent protector and provider. Hux supposed if he were a monkey or other large mammal, he would have recognized Kylo as a strong male and bound himself accordingly for protection and care. In Kylo’s mind, Hux was the one who was behaving absurdly.  

 

Kylo didn’t seem to understand he was male though. With so many years without human contact he might not be able to tell the difference between sexes without...further examination. Hux supposed he ought to settle the matter. He was afraid Kylo would abandon him if he turned out not to be mating material, but he hoped teaching Kylo to read and write was enough compensation for the food, shelter and protection Kylo had been providing him.  

 

Even though his inability to survive without Kylo was more pressing...Hux couldn’t help thinking how sorry he’d be if Kylo ran off because he wasn’t female.  

 

“Kylo, I need you to stay where you are,” said Hux, trying not to look at the naked man and signing that he wanted him to stay put. Kylo had seemed to understand ‘stay’ earlier, so he didn’t see why Kylo would misunderstand now.  

 

When he heard Kylo stop moving he reached for his jacket buttons, sitting up for easier access to unfasten them. He blabbered nervously, having never undressed with someone looking at him so deliberately before, “Now...I’m...I’m n-not doing this because...I just think you have a right to know, understand?”  

 

Hux fumbled with his vest and shirt, revealing only the flesh that was necessary to prove his point. With numb, trembling fingers he opened the layers until his thin chest was bared. He held his clothes open, letting Kylo get a good, mortifyingly long look at how flat his chest was. He spoke quietly, “See...I don’t have breasts, I’m not a girl, so you can’t. I’m sorry...I’m not what you must have been hoping for.”  

 

He heard Kylo move, and terrified that he might be moving away Hux blurted out, “I can still be useful! I can show you different things. When I’m well I’m sure I can-”

 

“Hux bee-oo-ti-full…”  

 

Hux was startled into silence for a moment. Kylo couldn’t understand what that meant.  He simply couldn’t. It wasn’t one that had ever applied to him, and now, even if Kylo meant it, he was probably only saying it because Hux was the first human he’d seen in ages.

 

Hux gasped as he felt fingers skimming across his sternum, the touch surprisingly gentle.

 

“K-kylo,” he choked, his skin prickling up with pleasure at the wandering caress. He directed his gaze back towards the dark haired man, intending to tell him that they needed to stop, that this was going too far to a place that Hux would never be able to come back from, but the words died in his throat when he looked up at Kylo’s face and saw the awed, worshipful way he seemed to be staring at Hux, drinking in every little detail and twitch of movement.

 

“Ah!” Hux jerked, his back arching into Kylo’s touch when his finger brushed over a nipple. The jolt of pleasure went straight through Hux’s body to his groin, and he groaned, feeling his face and chest begin to flush and arousal thrum through his lower body, as Kylo circled the tiny pink nub again, as if testing out why Hux had reacted so strongly.

 

Hux’s head was swimming, astounded little moans and gasps coming out of him seemingly of their own volition. He needed to tell Kylo to stop. He had to. This was so much farther than Hux had ever even dreamed of going with anyone, let alone this naked man who had been raised an uncivilized heathen. He--

 

And then Kylo rolled Hux’s nipples between his thumb and forefinger and Hux cried out, sliding all the way down so he was lying prone against the forest floor.

 

His thought process was so clouded by base animal want and need that all he knew was that he didn’t want Kylo to stop, he needed his hands on him, needed him to continue twisting and rubbing the pebbled pink buds on Hux’s chest. He arched his spine off of the ground, chasing the feeling, and he felt his knees give out and fall to either side of where Kylo crouched, as if his entire body was crying out for Kylo to _come closer, touch more_.

 

When Hux gave a particularly loud sob in response to Kylo teasingly circling his nipples before brushing them with feather light strokes, Kylo suddenly pulled back, leaving Hux feeling confused and adrift in the haze of his own arousal.

 

Kylo looked sheepishly at Hux, his hands hovering awkwardly above Hux’s strewn about legs, as if afraid of being scolded. “No?” he asked tentatively.

 

Staring up into Kylo’s face, Hux felt himself on the edge of a precipice and knew that how he responded would determine the course of his relationship with Kylo. He didn’t have to give in. He could take what he felt the moral high ground was, remaining chaste until he needed to procreate, the way he had been instructed. He could tell Kylo to stop and go back to London still technically untouched, putting himself back on a shelf and watching life with all its beauty and intimacy from a distance, wrapping himself within his books and his research. Watching others find happiness and comfort but never taking it for himself. He didn’t need this. It wasn’t food or water or something he would die without and yet...it seemed horrible to try to keep living without it.  

 

He was over thirty years old, and perhaps a mix of sexual frustration and the maddening heat lead him to say,

 

“Y-yes. Yes.”

 

Hux carefully took a hold of Kylo’s wrists and guided his massive hands back down towards Hux’s chest, which peeked out white and pink like strawberries and cream from between the folds of Hux’s clothing.

 

He groaned at the contact of Kylo’s palms against his skin, and let his own hands fall to either side of his lolling head, whimpering and twitching his hips up when Kylo sharply pinched the small peaks.

 

Kylo made soft, reassuring noises, as if to console Hux as he sobbed and whimpered.  Combined with the gentle and thorough attention, Kylo was proving to be surprisingly tender. He petted the tips of his nipples gently, stroking them with his fingertips before letting go completely. Hux was about to reach for Kylo’s hands again and tell him that he had meant ‘yes’ when he said it; but the way Kylo looked at him gave him pause. He seemed to be thinking, figuring something out before he acted. He also flicked his tongue over his lips, a gesture that only served to deepen the blush on Hux’s cheeks and shoulders.  

 

Lowering his body slightly and shuffling downwards, Kylo let his face hover over Hux’s chest. Hux’s breathing sped up as he felt a puff of warm breath against his budded nipple, causing him to shiver slightly in spite of the heat. Kylo leaned in closer until his nose rested on his chest, nuzzling gently as that ridiculous smile crept over his lips. He had a very long, slightly crooked nose, and when he exhaled over Hux’s skin it tickled slightly. After his nose, Kylo pressed his cheek to Hux’s chest, just over his heart.  

 

His still tangled, slightly damp hair splayed over his chest. Hux’s voice hitched as Kylo drummed his fingers over Hux’s stomach in time to his heartbeat. Something about his heart must have fascinated Kylo. He lingered over it and pulled back enough to nuzzle the area before pressing his lips against it. Hux couldn’t help pinking at that. He’d never been kissed like this, not just embarrassed by their position but because someone genuinely wanted to kiss him. He wanted more of that, and placed his hand over Kylo’s head, ignoring the texture of his matted hair to try to encourage him.  

Kylo complied, but not in the way he expected. Humming at the hand in his hair, Kylo moved and kissed the peaked bud of his nipple. Hux let out a gasp as Kylo took the whole thing in his mouth and began suckling it. Tossing his head lightly, Hux couldn’t help letting out a steady stream of whimpers and gasps as he felt Kylo’s tongue laving over the tip. He continued the slow, gentle attention, licking and circling the nipple with his tongue, kissing and sealing his lips over it for another round of rolling between his lips and sucking.  

 

Just when he thought it couldn’t feel better than this, Kylo pinched his other nipple and lightly pulled it. Hux let out a loud kean at the feeling. He hadn’t known it could feel this good. Kylo hadn’t even touched him below his waist and he felt like he might come undone at any moment. He whined lightly, “It’s good...ah...Kylo it’s so good…”  

 

Hux moaned out loud as Kylo switched, taking the other nipple in his mouth and moving a hand up his side to teasingly flick his fingertips over the neglected one on his left. It felt good, the saliva cooling the area and slicking it so Kylo’s fingers could glide over the surface. Finally Kylo released the nipple with a popping sound, rising to look over Hux in a way he could only describe as smouldering. He had to look away, Kylo’s gaze was far too intense.  

 

He placed a hand on either side of his chest, rubbing and squeezing with his massive hands. It didn’t feel as good as before, but the wild man appeared to be testing something, experimentally squeezing and moving his hands in slow circles.   

 

Kylo seemed to be massaging Hux’s chest, pushing the slight mounds of soft flesh together and creating a small channel between them, as if Hux had very petite breasts.

 

“What are you-,” Hux began, promptly silenced by Kylo leaning over him again, clearly intent on something. Hux’s eyes widened as Kylo began to crawl up his body and he was suddenly very aware that he wasn’t the only one who had been...affected by Kylo’s fervent ministrations.

 

Hux was sure his face was redder than his hair and that he might faint of a combination of shock and arousal. If Kylo had been...larger than normal in the pool, now he had to be pushing some sort of record.

 

As Kylo shamelessly straddled his rib cage, Hux gasped out a few noises like he was dying and indeed, with Kylo’s weight on top of him it did feel like death was a possible outcome to this situation. Armitage Hux, pride of Oxford’s Zoology Department, would be be crushed between a feral man’s mouthwateringly massive thighs, the last thing he would ever see feral man’s ridiculously large erect cock bobbing in front of his face.

It was all Hux’s most deviant, unspoken dreams and his worst nightmares rolled into one unbearably sensual scenario.

 

Kylo lazily stroked his cock with a loose grip, making a few satisfied groans and sharply pulling Hux back into reality. He wanted…He’d never....touched another man before and had rarely ever taken a hand to himself, always coming away ashamed and dirty feeling for indulging in moral and physical debasement. But it was only natural that Hux should want to provide pleasurable stimulation to Kylo after Kylo had indulged his depraved reaction to a bit of petting, wasn’t it?

 

As if he’d sensed Hux’s conflicted desire, Kylo gently took Hux’s hand in his larger one. Hux couldn't help but hold his breath as his hand was guided towards the massive shaft that bobbed close enough to his chest to feel heat radiating from it. The grip on his hand was loose enough that even a thin, unathletic man like Hux could easily break it; but he didn't. He allowed Kylo to pull him in closer to the point of no return. They both let out a gasp when they finally made contact.  

 

Hux knew what his own body felt like, and it was the only one he’d ever known. Apart from size and the amount of pubic hair, Hux was shocked to find that they both felt the same. He thought perhaps his own texture might be unique to himself, but Kylo seemed just as warm and soft as he was. It also felt different, concentrating only on the feeling on his fingertips without the feelings of pleasure muddling his brain.

 

Kylo’s hips jerked forward a bit as Hux delicately cupped the tip of him in his hand, making a few soft frustrated groans.

 

Hux withdrew his hand meekly, not wanting to further disappoint Kylo with the fact that he had no idea what to do in order to bring him off, especially with the awkward angle he was lying at.

 

Huffing, Kylo slid his hands over Hux’s sore, oversensitive chest before firmly rubbing and pushing his soft curve of his pectorals together and shunting his pelvis forward.

 

Hux exhaled heavily at the warm press of Kylo’s cock against his skin, watching with mesmerized lust as Kylo began to rub himself off onto his slight chest.

 

 

“Ah!” Hux moaned as Kylo rubbed his leaking cockhead against Hux’s puffy, bruised nipple, a thin stream of precome smearing over the reddening peak. He couldn’t look away despite how strange the act was. The press of the tip against his nipple sent jolts of pleasure through his nerves. Kylo also seemed fixated on making sure both buds received equal attention, shifting so he could touch the head of his cock to the other nipple, coating it just like he had done before.  

 

Kylo made pleased grunts as he moved down, tenting his hand over his throbbing shaft so he could relieve himself as he thrust against the nipple, jabbing it with each pass and dribbling precome over it. Hux gasped at the sensation and his mind swam with feelings of arousal as Kylo seemed to be trying to fuck his nipples, switching between them as he stroked himself. He had no clue what could have possessed Kylo to give him such an idea, but at the moment, Hux didn’t want to dwell on it or make it stop.  

 

Groaning as he removed his hand, Kylo took his chance to thumb over the abused buds, swirling precome around them, like an animal marking his property. Hux let out a horribly embarrassing _mewl_ as Kylo pinched them, giving a slight tug as he pulled them as much as he could without hurting Hux. Releasing them, Kylo gave them a sympathetic little stroke with his fingers before reaching and seizing Hux’s wrists.  

 

For a split second, Hux was worried Kylo might try to make him touch him again. Too aroused to try to speak English, Kylo grunted a series of sounds that might have been instructions as he pressed Hux’s hands over his bruised and sullied chest. He slid Hux’s hands together, forcing the scant amount of flesh under them together to form that petite breast-like channel again, this time around the underside of Kylo’s enormous cock..  Kylo patted his hands and his instructions were unmistakably clear: _Stay_.  

 

Hux felt himself reddening all over again as he pressed what little amount of fat and muscle he had on his pectorals together. Kylo reached over, tenting his hand again as he began to fuck what little cleavage Hux had managed to make. Kylo grunted and closed his eyes, his face shifting between concentration and blissed out pleasure as he tried to bring himself to completion. Hux panted and turned his head to the side, partly from embarrassment, and partly because Kylo’s length threatened to jab him in the chin if he tried to keep his eyes on Kylo. He felt the plush heat sliding between his pectorals and a thin trail of precome drooling over his chest, between collarbone and even the base of his neck. He pressed his chest together harder, trying to make the small channel as tight as he could.  

 

Kylo groaned, letting out a loud groan as he came. Hux gasped as he felt hot come spurting over his neck. Kylo pulled back and Hux whimpered as he felt the heat of Kylo’s cock dissipate as more come splattered across his chest while Kylo grunted through his orgasm, “Hux...Hux...Beauu-ti-full...bu...tiful...Hux…”  

 

Hux panted at the combined shock of being called beautiful and the wild man’s come cooling over his chest. Kylo came. Kylo came because of him. Kylo thought he was beautiful and desirable enough to want for his own.  

 

Nobody had ever wanted him like that before.  

 

Hux was snapped out of his musings as he felt his trousers being tugged at and realized Kylo’s weight was no longer across his middle. He looked up and gasped as Kylo opened the buttons to uncover his obvious erection. Hux whimpered and called out, “You...you don’t need to do that! Please...it’s…”  

 

The words died in Hux’s throat. Small. Unimpressive. He felt humiliated, unable to help comparing himself to Kylo. The wild man on the other hand reverently peeled away the layers of dampened cloth, like he was unwrapping a gift and let out a little gasp when he saw it. Hux whined, figuring Kylo must be completely underwhelmed by what he had uncovered.  

 

Proving him wrong once again, Kylo drew his fingertips curiously through the little trail of red hair that lead up to Hux’s navel, down to the trimmed hairs at the base of his cock.  Hux let out a little whine again as Kylo’s jaw dropped in awe, examining his pink, slender shaft and reddened head. He pulled down Hux’s trousers a little lower to reveal his soft thighs and testicles resting on top of them. Hux whimpered again as Kylo put his massive hands over his hips, holding them still so he could look over Hux, licking his lips as if Hux’s cock was the most appealing thing he’d ever seen.  

 

Hux let out a high pitched gasp as Kylo moved his hands under his hips, propping up his cock for a more revealing view and kneading his fingers into the pale flesh of his ass. Hazarding a glance up, he saw Kylo’s head poised over him, giving another tantalizing lick of his lips before moving so close, Hux could feel the warm tickle of breath over his cockhead.  

He pressed his fist to his lips. Kylo wouldn’t. He might have just washed, but he hadn’t used soap. The area wasn’t clean, not really. He whined lightly, “Kylo you can’t...it’s dirty...Kylo…”  

 

Ignoring his meek, half-hearted warning, Kylo leaned down and sealed his mouth over Hux’s entire cock.  

 

Hux let out a shout. He’d never felt anything like it. It was warm and wet and tight as Kylo sucked and moaned around his cock. Hux had no idea how Kylo had gotten the whole thing in his mouth, and his mind wasn’t in any start to making proper theories.  Kylo kept squeezing his ass as well. A pair of fingers worked their way between his cheeks and Hux mewled when he felt them open, exposing his entrance.  

 

He wasn’t going to last. Hux panted and let out a string of whines and whimpers, barely able to move his hips thanks to Kylo’s grip. A finger found his pink, virgin entrance. It didn’t penetrate, taking time to circle and stroke over it gently before tapping against it a bit more roughly.  

 

Hux couldn’t take any more of it. He came into Kylo’s mouth, shuddering, sobbing and embarrassed that he’d done such a lewd, depraved thing. Kylo didn’t seem to mind at all though, waiting until Hux finished before pulling back and licking his lips. Hux whimpered at the sight before closing his eyes. He felt exhausted, like he had just run a mile and his head felt completely foggy.  

 

He hummed when he felt a hand slide under part of his shirt to rub his soft, unsculpted belly. Kylo unbuttoned the few that had remained in place and completely opened Hux’s shirt to expose him. He rubbed Hux’s belly for a moment, letting out a series of approving grunts before patting it lightly. Hux whimpered as he heard Kylo lie beside him and drape a large arm over him, pulling him against Kylo’s solid chest.  

 

Kylo began humming his odd, mating song again and rubbing his come into Hux’s skin, marking and claiming him. Hux was too exhausted to even consider protesting. Kylo ran his hands over him, as if unable to stop touching him, grunting, “Kylo...Hux...Kylo...lllmmm...Hux…”  

 

He was clearly trying to form a verb between their names. Hux pressed a hand to Kylo’s cheek as he meekly suggested, “L-like?”  

 

“Kylo like Hux…” replied the wild man, looking into Hux’s eyes with more sincerity than Hux had thought could exist in the world.  

 

Hux buried his face in Kylo’s chest as he whispered slightly irately, “You were meant to say that before you debauched me…you ridiculous oaf.”  


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Yakkorat who beta-read this chapter for us on super short notice! You saved our bacon! Also, I'm still floored that we've gotten MORE than enough art for each chapter, and artists have been gracious enough to give us permission to use their work. This time Oochilka made this amazing work that you can see here: http://oochilka.tumblr.com/image/162915272504 Thank you so much! 
> 
> And thank you everyone for your patience in waiting for this chapter. Enjoy!

Hux watched as Kylo ambled back and forth across the treehouse, grunting cheerfully to himself as he carried bundles of leaves up to what sufficed as the bedroom and stocked all the nooks and crannies of his abode with various nuts and fruits.

 

With every second, Hux felt himself falling more and more into despair. 

 

What he had just done was unforgivable. He had taken advantage of an innocent man, a man ignorant of society and civilized behavior, and he had encouraged him to-to...

 

How could Hux live with himself? Kylo was blissfully unaware that anything untoward had occurred. In fact, he seemed even more enthralled with Hux since the incident by the pool. 

 

It had hit Hux, somehow slowly and suddenly all at once. He had lain on the jungle floor with Kylo wrapped around him, stroking over his hair and face as if he were a something precious, making soft, enamoured noises in his ear.  It had been comfortable, for a moment, as he panted in the afterglow, his mind still swimming from the new sensations and the thrill of their encounter.  Reluctantly, Kylo had let go of him, holding his hand up the way Hux had before, signing for him to stay put as he went somewhere else.  As if he could possibly have moved. 

 

Horror had flooded him when he glanced down to appraise the state of his body.

 

He had looked filthy, disgusting, covered in bruises and fluids, flushed in places where he wasn’t certain he was supposed to.  His nipples were red, puffy, and covered in semen.  His sternum and the dip of his collarbone had been liberally splashed and his belly… it was covered in his own mess.  His limp cock rested on top of it all, reminding Hux vaguely of how Millicent would destroy his rooms and lie in the evidence of her misbehaviour.  

 

He’d felt cold and dirty.  What had he done?  He was never going to be able to explain morality or the concept of giving into temptation and making a mistake. Kylo… Kylo didn’t know any better!  He was ignorant to civilized ways.  Hux was his sole window into that world and he’d just taught Kylo that this- this thing they did, was all right. Not only had he shamed himself, he’d brought Kylo down with him. If he ever got back to civilization, Kylo was sure to find out, and then… he’d never want to speak to Hux again. He could imagine the look of hurt and betrayal that would appear on Kylo’s face as he discovered that Hux had used him…

 

Hux was reminded of the way Kylo had returned to wipe away the mess on Hux’s chest and belly, using broad leaves he had soaked in water.  He’d leaned in and nuzzled Hux’s cheek while gently cleaning him, chanting “Kylo wash Hux. Hux bee-oo-ti-ful.”  Hux flushed from the tips of his ears all the way down to his chest just thinking about it.

 

At this point, Kylo seemed thoroughly convinced that Hux had agreed to become his mate; as soon as they’d returned to the treehouse, he’d left to collect leaves and bark and fruits and nuts -- all the trappings to make a large and comfortable nest. 

 

Hux didn’t know if Kylo was still under the illusion that he could somehow produce children with him;  it seemed impossible that Kylo would still harbor that idea after he’d gotten very clear evidence of Hux’s male-ness.  

 

Hux felt dizzy, his head swimming with the way Kylo had closed his lips around him… the heat of Kylo against his chest… and how he’d prodded at Hux’s--

 

It should have revolted him. But Hux was practically helpless as the waves of need and desire swept over him and the subsequent undertow of his shame pulled him under, drowning him in a mess of confusion at  the discord between what his traitorous body wanted and what his mind knew to be unnatural. 

 

He wanted… more. He wanted to know what Kylo’s thick fingers would feel like he dared to let them inside, what Kylo would feel like rocking into him the way he’d thrust against Hux’s chest. It was disgusting. Depraved. Hux just wanted to curl into a ball and hide from himself, to go to sleep and wake up in his bed in England, far away from everything he’d done and what’s more, everything he wanted to do. 

 

But he couldn’t.

 

 

He had to pull himself together, for Kylo’s sake. Kylo was completely guiltless in all of this. It wasn’t his fault that Hux was morally compromised enough to encourage Kylo’s shamelessness. Hux felt absolutely vile. 

 

He’d have to figure out some way to communicate to Kylo that what they had done was reprehensible. He’d apologize, apologize for how readily he’d pulled Kylo against him under the haze of his lust, for laying a hand on Kylo and doing nothing to discourage him from using his mouth on Hux.  

 

Explaining would be difficult, but he had to try.  Hux waved his hand and called, in as calm a tone as he could manage, “Kylo, could you come here a moment?”  

 

Kylo instantly pulled himself from his work, abandoning the nest in the middle of the room and bounding over to Hux. Hux held out a hand, indicating that he wanted Kylo’s attention, but that he should stay at least an arm’s length away.  Hux looked Kylo over, mouth feeling uncomfortably dry, and confessed, “I’m sorry.  Kylo, I’ve done something very wrong.”  

 

Kylo didn’t seem to understand what he was saying.  Hux tried to make his language simpler, “What we did… it was bad.  Can you understand bad?”  

 

“Bah-duh,” Kylo repeated.  

 

“Yes, bad.  I shouldn’t have said yes.  It was wrong of me and… I want you to know that I’m sorry,” Hux tried to explain.  

 

Cocking his head to the side, Kylo seemed to understand that something was wrong, which was a step in the right direction.  He moved in closer, reaching out, trying to pull Hux against him.  Hux held out his hand, “No, not right now, we shouldn’t.”  

 

That Kylo didn’t understand, and Hux couldn’t blame him.  It wasn’t so long ago that Hux had allowed him to touch… places he’d never permitted anyone to touch before, in ways that were forbidden.  It had felt good, and he didn’t like to say no to Kylo, not when he looked so confused and hurt, but it was necessary.  He had to stay strong.  He couldn’t give in a second time.  He’d already caused far too much damage.  

 

“I’m sorry…” said Hux gently, “But we can’t.  It’s bad.”  

 

Kylo made a string of incomprehensible noises before jumping down from the loft.  Hux sighed and leaned back against the wall he was seated against and looked at the nest Kylo had been building.  It wasn’t what he would normally have thought of as ‘warm’ or ‘comfortable’, but it was oddly inviting.  In a way it reminded him of when he was a child and wanted to burrow in the sheets fresh from the laundry before they were folded up.  He’d also been watching Kylo build the nest so painstakingly, and all for him.  Kylo wanted to make a home for him…  

 

In a few minutes, Kylo returned.  Before Hux could stop him, he nuzzled close under his chin and pressed something hard against his chest.  Looking down, he could see that it was a thin, well-worn, children’s book.  He took it from Kylo and examined the cover, finding it to be a small collection of illustrated fairy tales.  Kylo patted the cover with his hand and explained brokenly, “Kylo like book.  Hux… Kylo…” he trailed off, miming pushing something away from himself and towards Hux, “Hux… uh… Kylo like book.”  

 

A lump grew in Hux’s throat.  Kylo had no idea what a terrible thing he had done, but he still wanted to give Hux his favorite book.  Kylo reached up and ran his fingers through Hux’s hair, “Hux… Kylo… uh… hu…”  

 

He was trying to say something.  Hux could practically see the gears whirring behind his eyes while Kylo tried to work out words that he had long since forgotten.  It was clear what he meant.  He didn’t understand, but he could see something was wrong.  Kylo was trying to make it better, giving Hux a gift.  Hux, for his part, didn’t want to accept it.  It seemed far too precious a thing to take, and would send the wrong message, but Kylo seemed so upset and determined…  

 

“Thank you,” said Hux quietly.  He held it out, “Would you like me to read it to you?”  

 

Kylo cocked his head again and Hux said more simply, “Hux read?”  

 

As he opened the book, Kylo nodded eagerly, “Hux read!  Hux read Kylo!”  

 

“Hux read to Kylo,” he  corrected.  

 

“Hux read to Kylo,” the wildman parroted, settling in close to look at the pictures.

 

Hux recognized the story instantly. it was The Frog Prince.  He read all about the fussy princess who dropped her ball in the pond and the frog who promised to retrieve it if the princess agreed to his terms.  The princess tried to argue her way out of it, not wanting to honour her promises of letting the frog eat by her at the table, sleep in her bed, and least of all her promise to kiss him.  Her father forced her to keep her word, and the frog was delighted.  

 

It differed slightly from the version Hux read as a child, where the spell was broken after the princess had enough of the frog’s invasiveness and threw him against the wall.  It seemed in this version, the princess tolerated it all and deigned to give the frog a kiss on the lips.  

 

Turning the page, Hux was greeted with an illustration of the transformation.  The princess looking in shock as she found herself locking lips not with the frog from her pond, but with a handsome prince.  Kylo clapped his hands over his head and gave an excited shout, as if indicating that this was the best part of the story.  He pointed and clapped for the couple in the picture before Hux could say, “And they all lived happily ever after.”  

 

“You must understand this…” said Hux, flipping through the book gingerly, trying not to damage the pages.  The illustrations were easy enough to follow, but he wondered if Kylo could understand the words.  He seemed to catch on to spoken words quickly, though his vocabulary had dwindled in his solitude.  Could Kylo read though?  Pronunciation seemed to escape him, but did he understand that different combinations of letters could mean different words?  He wished he had some picture cards Kylo could match to words, just to test the theory.  

 

Kylo didn’t reply, instead he wrapped his arms around Hux and nuzzled in close, seeming confident that his little gift had fixed everything.  He pointed at the picture and asked, “Brush?”  

 

“N-no…” said Hux quietly.  He ran his finger over the page and asked, “Kylo… can you find the word that means this action?”  

 

Without hesitation, and to Hux’s shock, he pointed to the word, ‘kiss.’  

 

“That’s… that’s right…” gasped Hux, “Can you read it?”  

 

“Kay… Kay is ‘kuh,’” Kylo offered.  He paused, thinking before shaking his head and grunting.  

 

So he  _ could _ comprehend written words, he just couldn’t pronounce them.  That explained why he wasn’t curious about cats or apples.  Kylo was certainly much smarter than he appeared.  

 

“Kiss,” Hux read out loud, “K-I-S-S, kiss.”  

 

“Kisssssss,” repeated Kylo, “Kylo kiss Hux.”  

 

Before Hux could stop him, Kylo happily crashed his mouth against his cheek and made a long swipe of his tongue over his face.  

Perhaps Kylo didn’t understand ‘kiss’ after all.

 

“That’s not- ,” Hux sputtered, turning red and cringing at the feeling of saliva cooling on his face, “A kiss is-is, well, it’s like in the picture,”

 

He tapped the illustration of the princess swooning into the embrace of her frog-turned-handsome-prince.

 

Kylo stared at it for a second, brow furrowed as if deeply studying the action, before pulling Hux even closer against his chest and planting a large, wet, open mouthed kiss across Hux’s lips.

 

“Mmf! No! Kylo, no!” Hux wrenched himself away the best he could, which wasn’t very far considering the strength of Kylo’s grip around his chest, like struggling against a very determined octopus.

 

He shoved a hand between them, pushing Kylo back, and looked at Kylo straight on, trying to ignore the hurt and confusion swimming in his big doe eyes.

 

“We can't do this. I know that I've led you on and I'm dreadfully sorry. Listen to me, Kylo, we just- no more, can you understand? None of this. We-” He gestured between them, “we’re both male, can't you see that? We can never… be together, like we were today. It’s unnatural. It was my responsibility to show you the light of civilized society and I've failed you. I let my own selfish perversions lead you astray. I-I have to put a stop to this behavior.” Hux swallowed, finding his voice had gone hoarse and his throat tight.

 

Saying it aloud hurt more than Hux could have ever imagined. Acknowledging that he was so…defective. That he could never find mutual satisfaction and love in a partner because of his inability to be attracted to anyone but his own sex. Regardless of how well Kylo could comprehend his rant, it was depressing and humiliating to admit. 

 

Kylo reached out to touch Hux’s cheek and Hux shook his head, “No,” 

 

Kylo’s face dropped even more, heartbroken, and he let his hand fall back into his lap. 

 

“Wuh?” Kylo made an inquiring noise, earnestly searching Hux’s face as if for an explanation as to why he didn’t seem to want any sort of physical contact from him anymore.

 

“ “Wuh” what? What are you trying to ask?”

 

“W-wuh-why?” Kylo asked, gazing at Hux like a beaten dog.

 

“I-I don’t-” Hux was completely helpless for any answer other than “It’s not natural” or “It’s not proper.” The more he tried to frame it in a way that would be explainable to Kylo, the more lost and unconvinced in his own explanations Hux became. Alone in the jungle, without any social order to which to conform, who was to say what was proper and what wasn’t? By what standard could Kylo even judge propriety? Hux was just making them both despondent and confused. In Kylo’s eyes, he had found someone with whom he could satisfy his need for social stimulation and indulgence in sexual pleasure, and it didn’t seem to matter to him that Hux was of the same sex. 

 

“I don’t know.” Hux croaked, eyes watering, “I don’t know.”

 

He squeezed his eyes shut and drew a few shuddering breaths to get ahold of himself, praying that he wouldn’t fall farther into disgrace and start weeping in front of another man, even one so understanding as Kylo.

 

Smooth skin pressed gently against his forehead and Hux opened his eyes to Kylo, his features blurred through the haze of Hux’s tears, his forehead leaning against Hux’s.

 

Sniffling, Hux let his hand drift to rest on Kylo’s broad shoulder, feeling the soothing rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

 

Kylo’s fingertips brushed Hux’s other hand where it lay in his lap, cautiously skimming along from fingertip to wrist, as if afraid of another rebuke, before slowly lifting and cradling the hand in his bigger one, like it was something very delicate.

 

As Kylo petted over the back of his hand, something lurched in Hux’s stomach at how small and soft his own hand looked in Kylo’s large, calloused one. It wasn’t the sinking, nauseated feeling Hux had felt by the pool covered in his own mess, but a warm fluttering one that he didn’t want to end. 

 

Kylo twisted his wrist so they were palm to palm, extending his fingers as if he too was intrigued with the way Hux’s hand looked in comparison to his own. How Hux’s fingers were long and slender like a musician’s against Kylo’s thick fingers and broad palms; how the backs of Kylo’s sun tanned hands contrasted so beautifully with Hux’s own pale pinkish ones, used to being protected by gloves.

 

“Kylo like Hux,” Kylo mumbled, still gazing at where their hands met.

 

“Yes, I-I’m very fond of you as well.” Hux breathed, his heart swelling inside his rib cage. He was hyper-aware of all the places where their bodies touched: their knees and foreheads brushing together, Hux’s light grip on Kylo’s shoulder, their hands intertwined. Every point of contact seemed to radiate heat, pulsing with want and drawing Hux towards the promise of companionship and affection he’d so long denied himself like a siren’s song.

 

He was as dizzy as he had been earlier, his brain muddled with more contradictions between the rules and values that he had once believed so non-negotiable and Hux’s overwhelming desire to be cherished,  _ loved _ even. It was insane, unthinkable that he had only known Kylo for a few days and was already contemplating throwing away everything he’d ever known, just for a brief interlude of acceptance and fulfillment. The real world might have forgotten Kylo, but it certainly had not forgotten Armitage Hux and would come looking for him sooner or later. 

 

Kylo’s gaze slid back to Hux’s face, looking at him with such barefaced adoration and desire that Hux made a small, cracked whimper, tilting his head a bit to the side so he could feel the warm puff of Kylo’s breath against his lips.

 

Kylo paused, then hesitantly closed the gap between them and pressed his lips against Hux’s. He didn’t move, just letting their lips touch without actually puckering up.

 

Hux didn’t know the first thing about kissing, but tried his best to emulate what he imagined it consisted of, gently moving his mouth against Kylo’s pillowy soft lips and hoping he would take the hint and do anything to make Hux feel like less of an awkward novice.

 

Thankfully, Kylo made an enthusiastic groan in the back of his throat and slid his tongue over Hux’s lips.  It wasn’t quite as sloppy as before, just a brief flick over them, like he was nursing a wound.  It was such a sincere gesture that Hux couldn’t bring himself to be angry.  If he had been in a lighter mood, he might have laughed at Kylo’s misguided attempt at kissing him.  

 

“No, no licking,” Hux tried to explain softly, wanting something, anything, to distract him from the moral dilemma screaming at him from the back of his mind.  

 

Kylo pulled back, letting out a slight, confused noise.  Hux sighed, “No licking… like…”  

 

Could he do this?  It would mean not once, but twice, that he lead Kylo astray.  It would be wrong.  A horrible thing to do to someone who didn’t know any better.  But Kylo… Kylo didn’t seem to care.  Did he realize that Hux was protesting because of his sex?  He might have… Kylo was much smarter than his appearance suggested.  But how could Kylo think that this was right?  He obviously knew about sex, but he seemed so certain that there was nothing wrong with wanting another man.  

 

It wasn’t right to encourage Kylo, he knew that.  It was only going to make everything so much worse when Kylo was finally confronted with the truth.  Kylo wasn’t willing to listen now though, he seemed so certain that what he was doing was perfectly fine.  He didn’t want to refuse, but Hux knew if he let Kylo keep going…  

 

“Hux hurt?” Kylo asked, glancing down at his leg briefly.  He wiped under Hux’s eyes as if expecting tears.  

 

“No, I’m not hurt…” Hux insisted quietly.  

 

Leaning forward, Kylo lapped his tongue over Hux’s cheek, under his eyes.  Hux had seen animals do the same thing, trying to show affection and comfort to a friend or mate.  Hux pulled back.  He… he would probably have to explain it.  If he didn’t, Kylo would just keep licking him.  Besides… kissing wasn’t so bad.  In other cultures kissing was used as a greeting.  It was only as sexual as they chose to make it.  

 

“No licking,” Hux repeated, “Just your lips… like this.”  

 

He tilted his head and kissed Kylo on the cheek.  He felt his face burn as he pulled back.  He’d never initiated a kiss before.  Sometimes he had been obligated to kiss a lady on her hand, but this was different. This kiss was freely given, not demanded of him in deference to a social custom, and it was given to someone whom he felt himself becoming more and more fond.

 

Kylo looked at Hux curiously.  Hux muttered, “See, no tongue.  That’s a kiss…”  

 

Kylo cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look up as he firmly planted his lips over Hux’s.  His grip was loose, guiding, not forceful as his warm lips moved over Hux’s.  He pulled back and asked, “Kiss?”  

 

“Mm…” Hux grunted affirmatively.  

 

Kylo met Hux’s gaze hopefully, “Hux kiss Kylo?”  

 

Hux hesitated for a moment before giving Kylo a quick peck on the cheek.  Kylo cocked his head and pulled a hand back to touch his own cheek.  Hux hoped he wasn’t expecting more.  He wasn’t sure if he could.  Everything was a mess of wrong and right feelings and Hux wasn’t sure if he could tell the difference between them anymore.  

 

Seeing Kylo still watching him, Hux huffed, “What?  You got your kiss…”  

 

Kylo’s large, warm fingers traced over his cheeks again, cupping his face and pulling him in close. Kylo’s lips settled over his cheek, giving him a series of quick, chaste kisses that trailed to the corner of his jaw.  Warm breath tickled his ear as Kylo stroked through the fine hairs at the back of his neck.  

 

“Kylo like Hux…”

 

Hux groaned and let himself slump towards Kylo’s warmth, just for the comfort of being held more than anything else. At this proximity it was easy to note that Kylo definitely smelled better than yesterday. He must have made an actual attempt to clean himself when Hux was washing up. Hux wondered if this was another way Kylo had attempted to impress him.

 

Nuzzling Hux’s neck, Kylo pulled him into his arms and cradled him to his chest as if he were an infant, making soothing murmurs and coos. Hux just buried his face against Kylo’s (very defined) chest and closed his eyes, allowing Kylo to stand and carry him on wobbly legs back up to his newly furnished “nest.”.

 

Hux remained in a sort of fetal position even after Kylo had carefully laid him down on the pile of leaves and soft feathers serving as his mattress. Climbing in behind Hux, Kylo drew him flush against his body, laying soft, affectionate licks and kisses to Hux’s nape.

 

With all of Kylo pressed so close against him, Hux had the obscene urge to wiggle his behind back against Kylo’s pelvic region, but thankfully returned to his senses before doing any such thing. What had his life become? What had  _ he _ become?

 

The emotional and physical exertion of the day was taking its toll and Hux found himself succumbing to the heaviness of his eyelids and the comfort of having someone wrapped around him. 

 

It would be all right. Hux would figure out how to properly manage Kylo in a way that would suit Hux’s dignity and Kylo’s need for human contact. He’d find Phasma and the rest of the expedition. He’d collect all the data he needed here in Africa. Make some new discoveries even. And as for Kylo… Hux would find a way to introduce him back into human civilization and he and Hux, well, they’d… they’d--

 

Hux lost his train of thought, falling into a deep, much needed sleep.   
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it seems weird to announce taking a break after a long time with no update, but GeneralSux4 and I are taking a bit of a break and we likely won't update for a while. We aren't dropping the story, we just aren't able to work on it much right now. 
> 
> Hopefully this chapter can bring some smiles though :)
> 
> Also, massive-super-chocolatey-fudge-coated-thank you to Yakkorat, who edited this chapter!

As he woke from his nap, Hux felt fingers gliding through his hair. The warmth against his back was gone, so he assumed that Kylo was sitting nearby and playing with his hair. It proved a source of endless entertainment for the wild man, it seemed. Hux settled into the nest, which was surprisingly comfortable, and kept his eyes closed. There wasn’t much he could do at the moment. His leg was healing, but it still wasn’t quite enough to be able to walk about unaccompanied. He supposed he could try to teach Kylo a little more, or perhaps read him another little fairy tale from his book.  

 

As he lay in the comfort and warmth of the loft, he noted that the fingers didn’t seem quite right.  They didn’t feel large enough. He was used to Kylo’s curious prodding, but this felt different, not quite as gentle. After a few minutes he came to a very frightening conclusion:  

 

Kylo wasn’t the one touching him.  

 

Hux then did two very foolish things. Later he would think that he ought to have pretended to sleep and let Kylo chase off the intruder, but instead he did something a little less wise. His eyes snapped open, and upon seeing a large primate leaning over him and patting his head, Hux screamed.  

 

Naturally this caused the ape to shriek, and thankfully scramble across the room instead of lashing out at him. Hux pulled himself away to the opposite side of the room, panting and staring. He’d watched apes on the other side of a fence, in a proper enclosure, far from any real danger. Being this close to a real ape was terrifying, much more frightening than Hux had ever thought it would be.  

 

Kylo bounded into the loft, letting out a yell until he spotted the ape. He looked from the ape to Hux before moving quickly on all fours towards the animal. They grunted at each other, and Kylo began, if Hux understood what was happening, to soothe the ape. Kylo kept his voice soft as he groomed the other ape, he ran his hands through her fur and picked any dirt or insects he found out of it. When the ape calmed down, she touched Kylo back a little more roughly and spoke to her. It was clear that the two knew each other, and were communicating something to each other.  

 

Then, excitedly, Kylo gestured to Hux and ambled closer to the explorer. As soon as he was close enough, he wrapped his arms around Hux and pulled him close. He grunted and, to Hux’s alarm and embarrassment, seemed to be showing him off. Kylo ran his fingers through his hair, displaying how the short hairs would spring back into place and remain untangled. He also tugged on Hux’s clothes, showing where the different layers were. Finally, Kylo started showing the ape how buttons worked by opening his shirt. Hux swatted as his hands, flushing angrily as he called, “No, Kylo! No!”  

 

Kylo stopped and gave Hux an apologetic tickle under his chin. He waved the ape over and Hux shrank closer to the wild man. Having an ape, a massive, hulking creature that could tear him apart be so close was terrifying. He had been hoping to see one, just not so close, and not without Phasma and her gun nearby in case things went wrong.  

 

The ape seemed to be equally frightened, strangely enough. Hux didn’t think he looked like much of a threat. He himself was thinner than an ape, and considerably less muscular, but animals could be very frightened of unfamiliar creatures and objects in their territory. He wondered if the ape considered this place part of her territory. Kylo had allowed her in without a sound or struggle, even going so far as to allow her to touch Hux, which he seemed loathed to do with things he considered precious.. 

 

The ape inched closer, then inched back, then inched towards them just slightly closer than before. She was close enough that Hux could reach out and touch her, but he decided against it.  He’d frightened the creature once and didn’t want to risk doing so again. Instead, he allowed her to lean in, letting her sniff him until he heard her grunt in satisfaction. Unlike Kylo’s vocalizations, Hux was having a difficult time figuring out what emotions the ape was trying to convey. Was it curious? Worried? Angry?  

 

She reached out and pulled at his clothing, obviously curious about them, and started to settle in.  Hux wondered what he was supposed to do. He’d never witnessed apes meeting for the first time, so he had no idea how to tell this ape that he was friendly, or at least not interested in harming her. He also wasn’t sure of what to think of Kylo. Despite inviting the ape over, the wild man hadn’t let go of him for a second. 

 

Kylo drew him in closer and cooed into his ear, rocking him like an infant. It was clear what Kylo was communicating. Hux wasn’t certain if ‘mate’ was getting across, but Kylo was almost certainly saying that Hux belonged to him. That was good. Hux knew he would need the protection of someone with more clout than he had. Kylo nuzzled Hux before returning to grunting at the ape. After a few minutes Kylo gestured to the loft entrance, “Kylo… Kylo bring Hux.”  

 

Bring? To other apes? Hux felt his heart jump to his throat, spurred on by both fear and excitement. He would love to see apes in their natural habitat; it was the whole reason he was here. He was anxious though. They were wild animals, and quite dangerous up close. Still, if he passed up this opportunity he knew he would hate himself for it. He moved his arm, slowly so he wouldn’t frighten the ape.  “Jacket. I’d like my jacket, please.” 

 

Kylo hesitated and Hux wondered if it was because he didn’t want to comply with the request.  When he felt his arms being squeezed though, he understood. Kylo didn’t want to let go long enough to get the jacket. Was it a display of dominance? Hux accepted that Kylo saw him as a… a mate… but was this typical behaviour for gorillas or typical behaviour for Kylo? He needed his jacket though. If Armitage Hux was finally going to see wild gorillas, he was going to record as much of it as he could. 

 

Seeing as Kylo wasn’t letting him go, Hux said more firmly, “Kylo, my jacket.” 

His tone must have shocked Kylo into loosening his grip, enough for Hux to wriggle away. Next he had the ape, more specifically the gorilla, to contend with. It seemed interested in him, but wasn’t displaying any aggression. Hux was determined to keep it that way as he skirted around it, giving it plenty of space and keeping himself low to the ground as he pulled away. He was glad it didn’t follow him as he dug through his pockets for his notebook.  

 

He also found his beetles, which he had completely forgotten about. He felt a slight pang of guilt when he discovered that they were on their backs in the little sample jar, dead. Originally Hux had intended to preserve them in formaldehyde, but now that would be impossible. Were they rare? Had he just killed a rare species without preserving them? The thought was frustrating.  

 

Kylo seemed interested though. He crawled over and grunted, looking at the small glass jars.  Hux sighed and tapped the lids, “Jar. This is a jar.” 

 

“Jyyyyar,” repeated Kylo, committing the word to memory.  

 

He held out his hand and Hux took the pieces apart, removing the lids and pouring the beetles into Kylo’s hand. The wild man looked at him and asked incredulously, “Keep? Kylo keep?”  

 

“Why not…?” Hux sighed. 

 

Kylo called over to the gorrilla boastfully before popping a beetle into his mouth. Hux cringed at the crunching sound, but was glad that the insects at least served some purpose. He stuffed his pencils and notebook into his belt. He could take his jacket… but he would rather keep it here. It was hot, and the jungle was filthy. His jacket would be better preserved if he left it behind. Once he made sure everything was secure he turned and saw Kylo, still probably boasting, but sharing his treats with the gorilla.  

 

“Kylo, I’m ready,” said Hux. 

 

He might not have known what the words meant, but he seemed to understand them. Shoving the last beetle into his mouth, Kylo bounded over and returned all of the jars, stuffing them into Hux’s pockets and patting them down. Obviously he was hoping Hux would fill them up again with other treats.  

 

Without warning he was picked up again and carried down from the loft. Hux kept his eyes open this time. As much as he hated watching Kylo stumble down on two legs, always afraid the wild man would trip and get them both killed, he wanted to watch the gorilla that followed them. It was massive, bigger than the ones at the zoo, and Hux hadn’t seen one move so quickly before.  

 

He was terrified about swing through the jungle again, but he was eager to go too. He supposed that this was the feeling he was supposed to get as a child at Christmas, sensing that something wonderful was going to happen and feeling unable to wait for it. Would it go well? How many would he get to see? How much of what he theorized would be confirmed and how much disproven? 

 

He was so eager he almost forgot to scream when Kylo leapt from the house, bringing Hux with him.  

 

  ***   

 

When he finally opened his eyes again he could scarcely believe them.  

 

The clearing wasn’t as naturally breathtaking as the pool where he’d… washed, but it was impressive.  Hux took in all the details he could.  The area was clear enough for large animals to group together, but with enough trees to be somewhat sheltered.  More than that he took in what he had been most eager to find:  Nests. Hux knew that they built nests, but he didn’t know whether they remained in family groups or not. Now that was clear, the young were sticking close to their mothers while individuals tended to nest by themselves. Kylo’s clinging to him while they slept must have been a human instinct that somehow survived through his gorilla-upbringing. They also grouped fairly close together, suggesting that they definitely traveled in a group, like a family, or perhaps a colony…  

 

They were also looking at him. Hux was having a difficult time figuring out if this was because they were afraid, curious, or hostile. They accepted Kylo as one of their own, so perhaps, they wouldn’t take issues with another human in their midst.  

 

Kylo let out a whoop and held Hux close, pushing most of the air from his lungs in the process. Kylo jerked him back and forth, making sure everyone got a good look before settling him down again. Hux wasn’t certain what he was supposed to do. They were still looking at him, and Hux wasn’t certain that he liked it. There was an uncomfortable silence and little to no movement. In Hux’s experience animals usually didn’t freeze like that because they were in a good mood. 

 

Kylo let go and nudged him forward, his voice considerably less excited. When none of the animals raised their voices or moved, Kylo gave Hux another little push forward. Kylo moved away, going to the nearest gorilla and trying to nudge it towards Hux. The gorilla wasn’t having any of it, remaining firmly in place.  

 

Hux raised his hand and called quietly, “Kylo, no, don’t do that. They’ll come if they want to.”  

 

“No?” asked Kylo.  

 

“No, it’s fine, just… don’t let them tear me apart, all right?” replied Hux.  

 

Kylo looked disappointed, and to Hux’s dismay only continued to go from gorilla to gorilla, trying to get them to approach Hux. Kylo wasn’t going to help him, so he would have to find a more defensible place in case things went south.  

 

He found the place among them that seemed the least occupied and decided to stay put. He needed to draw. They might not come back to this spot.  The branches used seemed old and dry, and Hux didn’t know for certain how migration patterns worked.  They could move on from this place soon, so this could be his only chance. Cautiously, he took his notebook out and began to sketch, noting the distance between nests and the way gorillas grouped themselves. 

 

As he drew his simple pictures, Kylo continued to flit about. As he chattered with the apes, they began to move a little more themselves. The friend of Kylo’s who had come to the treehouse approached Hux and settled nearby, but thankfully didn’t come too close.  Hux supposed Kylo had already made it clear that, as his ‘mate,’ Hux wasn’t to be harmed or disturbed. Though being thought of as Kylo’s mate brought a great deal of emotional confusion, but Hux was grateful for the protection his status warranted.  

 

He saw that Kylo found another friend and began to wrestle with him. Hux couldn’t help pausing as he observed this. He knew that Kylo was strong, and enduring, but watching him grapple with a creature that had to be double his weight really brought home how great the difference between them was. Hux was lucky if he could carry a set of encyclopedias up a flight of stairs and take less than half a day to do it.  

 

He sighed and continued to draw, confident that his map of the nesting area was accurate, jotting down notes over a rough illustration of where groups and single gorillas had settled. Kylo’s friend from the treehouse settled in closer, looking over his shoulder and breathing down his neck. Hux held his notebook a little closer and grumbled, “You can’t have known, but humans hate when people do that.”  

 

The gorilla ignored him and grasped the pencil in Hux’s hand, giving it an experimental tug.  Hux pulled it closer to his chest, “No, you can’t have it.”  He gave a wave of his hand, trying to send her off.  “Go on, there’s nothing for you here, shoo!”  

 

She didn’t let go of the pencil, moving it to cause the let to make little scratches against the paper.  Perhaps she wanted to know how to draw. Hux sighed and wriggled the pencil free, “Here, you want to see? It’s like this.”  

 

He looked about for a subject, and seeing a mother and child, began sketching. It seemed the females did most of the child-rearing, as was the case with most species. They were moving, so he would have to work fast, approximating how the baby was held and groomed by its parent.  The gorilla behind him watched and came so close that Hux could feel her breath tickling his neck.  

 

Kylo appeared behind and gave her a shove, shouting angrily and wrapping his arms firmly around Hux, who growled under his breath, “I had it all under control you absolute buffoon…”  

 

It was Kylo’s turn to look over his shoulder. Unlike the gorilla, the wild man snatched the notebook right out of his hand and began flipping through it. Hux sat, stunned for a moment that Kylo could be so rude, then turned and held out his hand, “If it’s not yours, you have to ask first! Give it here!”  

 

Kylo gave a dismissive grunt as he turned the pages, staring at them in awe. He asked, “Hux...book? Hux make book?”  

 

“Yes, Hux make book, someday… hopefully… but it’s not yours and I need to draw, so give it back!” insisted Hux.  

 

Kylo pushed the book against his chest, but seemed to offer an ultimatum, “Hux make Kylo book!” 

 

For a moment, Hux panicked, thinking Kylo might want Hux to make a gift of his notebook. As Kylo pulled away and began preening he understood. The wildman, who hadn’t seen an accurate rendering of himself since he was an infant, wanted his picture drawn. He raked his hands through the section Hux had detangled, and tried to pry a few knots from the section he hadn’t gotten to. He drew himself up, looking proud and intimidating as he could.  

 

“Kylo, I need to draw the gorillas,” Hux tried to explain.  “That’s why I came here.”  

 

The wild man either didn’t notice or didn’t understand, continuing to hold himself up in a way he must have thought was majestic to behold. How was he going to explain he didn’t come all the way to Africa to draw humans? Besides, he wasn’t much good at portraits anyhow. Kylo would probably hate the final rendering. The wild man seemed fixated on the idea though, so Hux knew he would have to do it to keep the peace between them, he just didn’t want to do it  _ now _ .  

 

“Kylo… Hux draw gorillas,” said Hux firmly, pretending to swirl the pencil across the paper and pointing at a gorilla, “Gorillas first, Kylo after.”  

 

Despite what Hux thought was a fair offer, Kylo petulantly ordered, “Hux ma...drrraww! Draw Kylo!”  

 

“Yes, Hux will draw Kylo, but he’s drawing gorillas first,” Hux declared.  

 

Kylo seemed to understand, but he started to put on that hurt, betrayed, sulking act. He chattered and grunted, glaring daggers at Hux while he walked away, seemingly wounded. Hux rolled his eyes. This wasn’t the first time Kylo pulled this trick, and it was highly unlikely to be the last. He finished up his drawing of the mother and child before trying another subject. A male, alone, in his own nest. He seemed to be sleeping… was he ill or just lethargic?  

 

Hux pondered its condition as Kylo pounced on it. The ape bolted awake, grasping at Kylo to wrestle him, obviously annoyed at being woken from a sound sleep. Hux growled to himself and turned the page; he wouldn’t be able to finish the drawing if his subject was grappling when he was supposed to be sleeping.  

 

He saw another gorilla, and as he began drawing, as if on cue, Kylo jumped that gorilla as well.  Hux called out angrily, “Kylo, do you  _ mind _ !?”    

 

Kylo turned up his nose at that and continued his wrestling. Obviously he wasn’t going to allow Hux to continue until his picture had been drawn. It was absolutely, utterly, childish and unfair.  Hux was grateful for everything Kylo had done, but this was important. Too important to be ignored in favour of the whims of a troglodyte.  

 

Hux growled to himself and looked about. He couldn’t go far, both his ankle and the perils of the jungle ensured that. Perhaps he could venture out a little, though. He wouldn’t make the same mistake twice, he would stay within view of the nests, but he wasn’t going to sit here and let Kylo boss him around. He came to the jungle to draw gorillas, and by all that was good and holy, he was going to draw some damned gorillas.  

 

He was careful not to go far, skirting around a pair of empty nests, wondering if their inhabitants had gone far. As soon as Kylo was out of his view, he felt his hyper-awareness of his surroundings return. He was alert to every snapping twig, every buzzing insect and every rippling blade of grass. He checked over his shoulder, he could see the nests, so Kylo and the rest of the group were in earshot if something happened. So far though, it seemed their only predators were leopards, and Kylo was able to fight those off…  

 

A sharp rustle of branches indicated movement up ahead. Hux could hear grunting. A fight? That would be something to record. Even if he couldn’t draw it, notes would be useful. Hux knew he would have to be careful though. He didn’t need to be attacked by angry apes, fighting for dominance. What did they fight over, Hux wondered. Territory? Status? Food? Females? 

 

Seeing a little movement, Hux found himself a place to hide behind a tree. Peering around it, he pulled a little foliage out of his line of sight. Squinting through he could make out two apes, one on top of the other. They didn’t seem to be wrestling the way Kylo was… no…  

 

They were  _ mating _ .  

 

Hux’s heart leapt. At first he was scandalized, unprepared to witness sex of any sort, and then he was intrigued. It was difficult to get animals to mate in zoos, so he would have to take as many notes as he could. He’d missed any sort of ritual or courtship practice, but even a little of this information would be new and useful. Taking another glance he tried to figure out the… positioning… of the male and female. It was then that he noticed something he wasn’t prepared for.  

 

There was no female. Both of the apes were male.  

 

Hux turned around and tried to process what he had seen. Both male? But… that wasn’t right. There were young apes in the group, so obviously this wasn’t the only form of mating that occured in the tribe. So these two were deviants? A rare occurrence? At any rate, there were no humans about to teach them such behaviours, so they had to be naturally occurring. And if they were naturally occurring in apes, what did that mean for humans?  

 

Nothing, Hux tried to tell himself. It meant nothing. Just because something was natural didn’t mean it was morally permissible.  Certain species ate their own young, that didn’t mean humans ought to. Hells, he’d seen enough monkeys fling their own feces to know  _ that _ behaviour was natural, but that didn’t mean humans ought to emulate them. Naturalness meant nothing, absolutely nothing… nothing at all… nothing…  

 

No, he had to think like a scientist. He had to consider all the evidence before jumping to conclusions, even if the implications were uncomfortable for him. New theories on natural selection suggested that apes were ancestors to humans. Both humans and apes experienced same-sex attraction. Hux now had evidence for both species that this was the case. Evolution hadn’t bred these desires out of their systems. Despite being higher beings, humans hadn’t lost this base, animal, instinct.  

 

It wasn’t nothing, it meant something.  Millenniums of evolution hadn’t managed to change this thing he had been taught was a defect or disorder. It wasn’t new. It had been happening for ages and ages among their animal ancestors. So why was it wrong? Hux could understand why cannibalism and touching waste were taboo for humans, but why same-sex relations? It wasn’t hindering the population, other apes were still breeding, and it didn’t seem detrimental or harmful to the rest of the population in any way so… so why?  

 

Hux tried to think of reasons his teachers had given him. They had used words like ‘immoral,’ and ‘indecent,’ but it was occurring to him now that they had never given him a reason. He supposed he could flip open a bible for one, but he couldn’t allow his religion to blind him to scientific truth. Same-sex attraction… no, his own proclivities were present and natural in a closely related species. They posed no threat or detriment to sustaining a population, so why was it wrong? Long held beliefs and texts had been wrong about the age of the earth and the center of their planetary system, so could they be wrong about this as well?  

 

He felt confused…  

 

Hux sat down and held his book to his chest. He felt like a young boy when he’d begun questioning the moral superiority of his parents for the first time. He had believed for so long that parents were always right, and that by extension the way he was treated was right… but it hadn’t been. He had been wrong. His whole world had been flipped upside-down, and despite the truth setting him free he had been frightened and confused by it. The whole world seemed wrong and out of sorts now that something constant, even if it was wrong, had been taken away. 

 

He felt so lost. This revelation ought to have been a good thing, a weight off his chest, but instead he just felt thrown off-balance. If what he felt wasn’t ‘wrong’ in the sense that it was an unnatural urge, then why didn’t he feel good about himself? He thought of Kylo and what they had done and all he could feel was nerves and shivers.  

 

“”Hux?”  

 

He really shouldn’t have been surprised to see Kylo crouched in front of him. The wild man must have noted his absence and followed him, as he always had. He reached out and patted him on the head. Hux sighed.  “I’m fine, just thinking about things.”  

 

Kylo cocked his head. Hux knew he could understand the words, so he must have been trying to comprehend the meaning, perhaps wondering what Hux could be pondering so deeply all alone. Kylo didn’t seem like the philosophical sort, but he was the only person Hux had to talk to. So, he rambled, “I was just always told it was wrong, unnatural, but it isn’t. It’s not a uniquely human phenomenon, perhaps not even limited to primates. I’ve been taught something that was wrong, but even knowing that I don’t feel good about it and-”

 

Kylo reached out and placed two thick fingers over Hux’s lips. At first he was offended, but Kylo wasn’t looking at him with annoyance or judgement. In fact, he seemed sympathetic. He waited until Hux’s lips stopped moving and pulled his hand away, his face screwed in concentration as he tried to speak, “Hux… come back… draw… n-nawww-t saaaayyy-f.”  

 

Hux repeated the last few words a few times before working out, “Not safe?”  

 

Kylo nodded his head in Hux’s direction, indicating something behind him. “Maaaad if Hux see.  Hux come, Kylo bring.”  

 

“Yes… I suppose you’re right,” said Hux quietly. He figured he would be in trouble if he interrupted a pair of fully grown, male, gorillas in the middle of copulating. He also reasoned he was wasting his time thinking when he could be drawing and mapping. He didn’t come all the way out here to feel sorry for himself, that was for certain.  

 

Kylo held out a hand, trying to stay balanced on his two legs. He was still a bit shaky, but hardly the stumbling, wobbling mess he had been before. Kylo was adapting, but as for himself, was he too old, too set in his ways? Could he adapt? If Kylo could relearn things, perhaps he could, too.  Then he might be able to undo some of the damage these lies had done.  


End file.
